Article
Ecology
Brett T. McClintock, Michelle E. Lander
Summary: The identification of important habitats and associated behaviors is crucial for conservation and management decisions. This study presents a statistical method for inferring behavior-specific habitat selection and utilization distributions in continuous time, providing a valuable tool for understanding and managing animal populations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Simona Picardi, Peter Coates, Jesse Kolar, Shawn O'Neil, Steven Mathews, David Dahlgren
Summary: Post-release monitoring of translocated animals is important for informing future translocation protocols, as habitat selection may vary depending on the underlying behavioral state. The study found that features selected after settling, not during exploration, are likely indicative of suitable settlement habitat, highlighting the need to consider behavior when choosing future release sites.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Paul Baldrick, Sanjay Jain
Summary: This study examines the regulatory process of carcinogenicity testing for pharmaceutical drugs, particularly through the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By analyzing 37 submission documents, it is found that the current regulatory interaction allows for drug approval and marketing, but there is room for improvement in study design and submission content.
REGULATORY TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Margaret A. Malone, Carlos M. Polivka
Summary: This study combines fish conservation and management with theories and methodologies from behavioral ecology, presenting a new research framework. The study applies this framework to various aspects of fish behavior, such as diet choice, habitat use, movement, and social behaviors. By considering the adaptiveness and fitness implications of these behavioral traits, the study explores ecological trade-offs and suggests new assessment strategies and conservation efficacy studies.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Thomas A. Morrison, Jerod A. Merkle, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Ellen O. Aikens, Jeffrey L. Beck, Randall B. Boone, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Samantha P. Dwinnell, W. Sue Fairbanks, Brad Griffith, Arthur D. Middleton, Kevin L. Monteith, Brendan Oates, Louise Riotte-Lambert, Hall Sawyer, Kurt T. Smith, Jared A. Stabach, Kaitlyn L. Taylor, Matthew J. Kauffman
Summary: Site fidelity, the tendency for animals to return to previously visited locations, is influenced by environmental factors and varies among species. Environmental predictability and success in resource tracking play a role in shaping site fidelity, which can strengthen with age and experience. Differences between species in memory and attraction to sites contribute to variations in site fidelity expression.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Laura Tiessler-Sala, Giuseppe Sciortino, Lur Alonso-Cotchico, Laura Masgrau, Agusti Lledos, Jean-Didier Marechal
Summary: In this study, computational techniques were used to investigate and compare the mechanisms of two heme-binding systems. The results revealed different heme-binding mechanisms between the two systems, with one system having similar conformational spaces in the absence and presence of heme, while the other system only exhibited similar conformations to the holo form when heme was bound. This study highlights the diversity of molecular mechanisms of heme-binding.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gioele Passoni, Tim Coulson, Nathan Ranc, Andrea Corradini, A. J. Mark Hewison, Simone Ciuti, Benedikt Gehr, Marco Heurich, Falko Brieger, Robin Sandfort, Atle Mysterud, Niko Balkenhol, Francesca Cagnacci
Summary: Human disturbances, such as roads, can act as physical barriers impacting animal behavior across different spatial scales. Roads can particularly hinder key ecological processes like dispersal and migration in ungulates, and the avoidance of roads by these animals remains consistent across different movement modes. This highlights the potential constraints posed by roads on wildlife movement processes and functional connectivity in landscapes dominated by human activities.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anna Mazaleyrat, Francois Lorenzetti, Angelique Dupuch
Summary: The invasion success of the alien slug species Arion in disturbed habitats may be attributed to its more efficient resource utilization rather than greater phenotypic plasticity or interference competition ability. The direction of behavioral plasticity may be a key aspect in alien species invasion success in disturbed habitats.
Article
Ecology
Clark S. Rushing, Thomas Brandt Ryder, Jonathon J. Valente, Terrence Scott Sillett, Peter P. Marra
Summary: The study reveals that long-distance natal dispersal in Wood Thrush is more common than previously assumed, with habitat selection by individuals being primarily driven by density-dependence and patch quality.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Krzysztof Miler, Inon Scharf
Summary: Antlions and wormlions are unrelated insects that both construct traps and hunt similar prey. Research on antlions has been accumulating, while studies on wormlions are lacking, particularly on their prey sensing and cognitive abilities. These two taxa share some characteristics but differ in other aspects. It is recommended to conduct future research on both antlions and wormlions to gain a better understanding of convergent evolution.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aamer Sohel Khan, Stephen E. G. Lea, Piar Chand, Upashna Rai, Nagarajan Baskaran
Summary: At high elevations, biodiversity is at risk due to rapid environmental changes. The red panda, an endangered species, is struggling to survive in most parts of the Himalayas, leading to the implementation of a global captive breeding program. This study investigated the predictors of stereotyped behavior and behavioral diversity of red pandas in three Indian zoos, and also examined the effect of stereotypy on their behavioral diversity. The findings provide empirical support for existing guidelines for red panda husbandry and have global relevance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Justine A. Becker, Matthew C. Hutchinson, Arjun B. Potter, Shinkyu Park, Jennifer A. Guyton, Kyler Abernathy, Victor F. Americo, Anagledis Da Concetc, Tyler R. Kartzinel, Luca Kuziel, Naomi E. Leonard, Eli Lorenzi, Nuno C. Martins, Johan Pansu, William L. Scott, Maria K. Stahl, Kai R. Torrens, Marc E. Stalmans, Ryan A. Long, Robert M. Pringle
Summary: Major disturbances can temporarily remove constraints on population abundance and distribution, allowing ungulate populations to rapidly grow and expand into less-preferred habitats. The recovery of waterbuck population in Gorongosa National Park is marked by demographic skewness and shifts in diet selection, enabling them to tolerate the costs of density-dependent spillover in the short term. Plasticity in foraging behavior and diet selection play a key role in individual-level mechanisms during population recovery.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2021)
Review
Forestry
Christopher P. Colton, Nicholas C. Coops, A. Cole Burton
Summary: Studies show that grizzly bears use forest cut blocks, but their selection varies across seasons and local environments. Seven factors that influence grizzly bear responses to forest harvest include natural forest openings, cut block design, and silvicultural techniques. The synthesis suggests that grizzly bears may frequently use forestry cut blocks when vegetative forage is rich, human activity is minimal, and natural forest openings are limited.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuren Wang, Congcong Jiao, Dayong Zhao, Jin Zeng, Peng Xing, Yongqin Liu, Qinglong L. Wu
Summary: This study reveals that rhizosphere bacterial communities in both alpine meadows and steppes exhibit higher alpha-diversity but lower beta-diversity compared to bacterial communities in sediments and bulk soils. The relationships between bacterial communities in different habitats weaken from meadows to steppes, and the drivers for the phylogenetic turnover of bacterial communities differ between meadows and steppes. These findings provide important insights into the differences in microbial communities between meadows and steppes in the grassland transition zone on the Tibetan Plateau.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ben S. Carlson, Shay Rotics, Ran Nathan, Martin Wikelski, Walter Jetz
Summary: Individual variation plays a key role in shaping environmental niche associations, with individual environmental niches of white storks showing high consistency over time and a tendency towards moderate to strong niche specialization.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Bram Van Moorter, Ilkka Kivimaki, Andreas Noack, Robin Devooght, Manuela Panzacchi, Kimberly R. Hall, Pierre Leleux, Marco Saerens
Summary: This article introduces ConScape, a software library implemented in the high-performance open-source language Julia for computing metrics for connected habitat and movement flow on high-resolution landscapes. It combines Julia's just-in-time compiler, efficient algorithms, and landmarks to efficiently evaluate large landscape networks.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Atle Mysterud, Inger Maren Rivrud, Oystein Brekkum, Erling L. Meisingset
Summary: Supplemental feeding of cervids during winter is a common management practice, but it may increase the risk of disease transmission. This study investigated the space use of red deer in a CWD-affected region and found that snow depth is the main factor determining their space use during winter.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lars Rod-Eriksen, Siw T. Killengreen, Dorothee Ehrich, Rolf A. Ims, Ivar Herfindal, Arild M. Landa, Nina E. Eide
Summary: Large carnivores play a crucial role in influencing ecosystem dynamics through their impact on meso-carnivores and scavengers. Loss of large carnivores can lead to an increase in meso-carnivores, such as the red fox, and changes in their interactions. In the Scandinavian tundra, the presence of wolverine and golden eagles affects the co-occurrence of the Arctic fox and red fox, with the Arctic fox more likely to co-occur with the red fox when wolverines are present but less likely to co-occur when golden eagles are present. Small rodent abundance also influences the occupancy patterns of these predator species, with the Arctic fox responding more strongly to rodent abundance than the red fox.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Atle Mysterud, Rolf Langvatn, Erling L. Meisingset, Inger Maren Rivrud
Summary: Population densities of cervids have increased in North America and Europe, leading to crop damage. The decline in vital rates of large herbivores is mainly caused by competition and depletion of natural food resources. However, the extent to which access to agricultural crops can buffer density effects in cervid populations is unknown.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Marie L. L. Davey, Stefaniya Kamenova, Frode Fossoy, Erling J. J. Solberg, Rebecca Davidson, Atle Mysterud, Christer M. M. Rolandsen
Summary: This study aims to optimize DNA metabarcoding technique for large-scale, non-invasive monitoring of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes in wild ungulate populations. The results showed that DNA metabarcoding has better taxonomic resolution and higher sensitivity compared to traditional parasitological methods. However, to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of metabarcoding assays, choosing a DNA isolation method that involves mechanical cell disruption and maximizes the starting material volume is recommended.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Atle Mysterud
Summary: Many pathogens can infect multiple host species, making the management of wildlife diseases complicated. The processes determining spillover risk and subsequent transmission dynamics within and between species differ due to variable niche overlap and host competence.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(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.
Article
Biology
Asena Goren, Hildegunn Viljugrein, Inger Maren Rivrud, Solveig Jore, Haakon Bakka, Yngvild Vindenes, Atle Mysterud
Summary: Climate change has caused significant changes in seasonal weather patterns and phenology in various species. However, there is limited empirical research on the impact of these changes on the emergence and seasonal dynamics of vector-borne diseases. Lyme borreliosis, the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere, has been increasing in incidence and geographical distribution. An analysis of long-term surveillance data from Norway shows a marked change in the timing of Lyme borreliosis cases, with the peak now occurring six weeks earlier than 25 years ago. This study highlights the potential for climate change to shape the seasonal dynamics of vector-borne diseases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Bernardo Brandao Niebuhr, Bram Van Moorter, Audun Stien, Torkild Tveraa, Olav Strand, Knut Langeland, Per Sandstrom, Moudud Alam, Anna Skarin, Manuela Panzacchi
Summary: The concept of cumulative impacts is widely used, but the quantification methods are still evolving. The proposed cumulative ZOI approach allows for estimation of cumulative effects of multiple anthropogenic features in the landscape.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Atle Mysterud, Hildegunn Viljugrein, Roy Andersen, Geir Rune Rauset, Malin Rokseth Reiten, Christer M. Rolandsen, Olav Strand
Summary: Climate changes can cause sudden changes in the epidemiological characteristics of infectious wildlife diseases, leading to outbreaks. The impact of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) on large vertebrate populations is poorly documented, in part due to limited surveillance of remote wildlife populations. In this study, the likely impact of digital necrobacillosis on wild alpine reindeer in a national park in Norway was quantified. The outbreak of digital necrobacillosis in 2019 resulted in a decrease in summer survival rate of juveniles, but its overall impact on population dynamics was moderate.
Article
Ecology
Natasha Gillies, Henri Weimerskirch, Jack Thorley, Thomas A. Clay, Lucia Martina Martin Lopez, Rocio Joo, Mathieu Basille, Samantha C. Patrick
Summary: Behavioural plasticity allows populations to adjust to environmental change, especially when genetic evolution is too slow. This study examined the relationship between boldness and behavioural plasticity in wandering albatrosses in response to wind conditions. The findings showed that movement decisions varied with boldness, with bolder birds preferring travel and shyer birds preferring search. The study also highlighted the importance of behavioural plasticity in population responses to climate change, as individual variation may limit adaptive capabilities.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natasha Gillies, Lucia Martina Martin Lopez, Olivier F. C. den Ouden, Jelle D. Assink, Mathieu Basille, Thomas A. Clay, Susana Clusella-Trullas, Rocio Joo, Henri Weimerskirchi, Mario Zampolli, Jeffrey N. Zeyl, Samantha C. Patrick
Summary: This study investigated whether wandering albatrosses respond to microbarom infrasound at sea. The results showed that albatrosses not only respond to winds encountered in situ but also move toward source regions associated with higher sound pressure levels. This suggests that albatrosses may be responding to long-range infrasonic cues, which are important for optimizing their flight over long distances.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Asena Goren, Atle Mysterud, Solveig Jore, Hildegunn Viljugrein, Haakon Bakka, Yngvild Vindenes
Summary: Lyme borreliosis, the most common vector-borne disease in Europe and North America, has been expanding its geographic range recently. Climate and land-use changes are believed to contribute to the increasing incidence and spread of the disease. This study analyzed 25 years of surveillance data from Norway to investigate the demographic patterns in clinical manifestations and seasonal case timing of Lyme borreliosis. The findings highlight the importance of considering patient demographics when studying the emergence and seasonal patterns of vector-borne diseases.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yngvild Vindenes, Rolf Langvatn, Atle Mysterud
Summary: Large mammals at northern latitudes experience seasonal cycles of body mass gain and loss, which vary across ontogeny depending on trade-offs between growth and other life history traits. However, there is currently no detailed model of how this seasonal growth develops. In this study, a new seasonal growth model was developed and applied to body mass data from captive red deer in Norway. The best fitting model included two seasonal components and revealed that the timing of the annual peak shifts through ontogeny, with males growing bigger and showing larger seasonal amplitudes compared to females. This new growth model provides a flexible framework for studying seasonal growth in different species.
Article
Ecology
Atle Mysterud, Hildegunn Viljugrein, Petter Hopp, Roy Andersen, Haakon Bakka, Sylvie L. Benestad, Knut Madslien, Torfinn Moldal, Geir Rune Rauset, Olav Strand, Linh Tran, Turid Vikoren, Jorn Vage, Christer M. Rolandsen
Summary: Surveillance of wildlife diseases is challenging but important, and using citizen science and hunters can help in expanding coverage. This study reports the successful use of recreational hunters in monitoring chronic wasting disease in wild reindeer in Norway.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2023)