1,721,048 research outputs found
The importance of animal behavior for ecosystem services
Full text linkAnimal behavior plays a critical role in the delivery of ecosystem services, yet the study of animal behavior and that of ecosystem services rarely intersect. The study of behavior-mediated ecosystem services should be prioritized and follow a mechanistic approach, focusing on the conditions that allow these critical behaviors to persist and adapt to global changes
Interaction of food resources and landscape structure in determining the probability of patch use by carnivores in fragmented landscapes
No full textStudies on the distribution of mammalian carnivores in fragmented landscapes have focused mainly on structural aspects such as patch and landscape features; similarly, habitat connectivity is usually associated with landscape structure. The influence of food resources on carnivore patch use and the important effect on habitat connectivity have been overlooked. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relative importance of food resources on patch use patterns and to test if food availability can overcome structural constraints on patch use. We carried out a patch-use survey of two carnivores: the beech marten (Martes foina) and the badger (Meles meles) in a sample of 39 woodland patches in a fragmented landscape in central Italy. We used the logistic model to investigate the relative effects on carnivore distribution of patch, patch neighbourhood and landscape scale variables as well as the relative abundance of food resources. Our results show how carnivore movements in fragmented landscapes are determined not only by patch/landscape structure but also by the relative abundance of food resources. The important take-home message of our research is that, within certain structural limits (e.g. within certain limits of patch isolation), by modifying the relative amount of resources and their distribution, it is possible to increase suitability in smaller/relatively isolated patches. Conversely, however, there are certain thresholds above which an increase in resources will not achieve high probability of presence. Our findings have important and generalizable consequences for highly fragmented landscapes in areas where it may not be possible to increase patch sizes and/or reduce isolation so, for instance, forest regimes that will increase resource availability could be implemented
Inferring red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) absence with hair tubes surveys: A sampling protocol
No full textHair tubes are often used to monitor red squirrel in fragmented landscapes, where presence/absence data are gathered to determine its distribution and factors affecting it. Despite many applications and evaluation of this technique for density estimation, the reliability of absence data has been overlooked, as no rigorous statistical estimate has been attempted both on the survey duration and on the reliability of absences. Accurate determination of the duration of a survey (e.g. how many visits should be carried out to consider the species absent rather than non-detected) will affect total costs and number of monitored sites; moreover, false absences will bias the distribution estimates. By applying some recently developed occupancy models, we estimated detection probability and sampling size required to infer red squirrel absence. Application of this sampling and data analysis protocol allows to infer the species absence at a reasonable cost and thus to evaluate the reliability of a presence/absence dataset. © 2007 Springer-Verlag
Navigating novel resources: A field test of the effects of small mammal personality on dispersal of Quercus seeds
Full text linkClimate change is shifting the habitable ranges of hundreds of species, and a greater understanding of the mechanisms driving migration velocity may make the difference between extinction and persistence for at-risk species. However, predicting migration velocity is particularly complicated for sessile organisms that rely on animals for the dispersal of their propagules. Extrinsic factors (e.g., seed availability, forest structure) and intrinsic factors of propagules and dispersers (e.g., seed mass, disperser species) interact to influence the seed dispersal process at multiple levels, complicating the conditions under which mutualism can occur. Small mammals are important seed predators and dispersers, and thus, their collective actions may modulate the migration velocity of seed-bearing plants. Recent studies have revealed the importance of disperser intraspecific variation, but the role of behavioral variation—animal personality—is infrequently studied and remains poorly understood. Personality may be critical to consider in the context of novel seeds as inexperienced individuals may default to specific behavioral tendencies and foraging strategies when deciding if and how to utilize resources. In a large-scale field experiment in central Maine (USA), we examined seed selection behavior in two species of small mammals (Peromyscus maniculatus and Myodes gapperi) for eight species of Quercus acorns—two of which are native to Maine and six of which are novel to our populations but expected to migrate northward. We found no discernible effects of seed novelty at any stage of the seed dispersal process, but we found evidence of personality-driven patterns in caching behavior. Docility positively predicted removal probability in voles and distance to burrow caches in mice. Lastly, individual antagonism–mutualism scores for voles were influenced by personality, where shy individuals were more antagonistic to acorns and bold individuals were more mutualistic. Put together, our results indicate that behavioral diversity may be important to consider for the maintenance of ecological function and provide a basis from where conservationists can work toward clarifying plant fitness in their novel ranges, species-specific extinction probabilities, and future trends in forest regeneration
Evaluation of scent-station surveys to monitor the distribution of three European carnivore species (Martes foina, Meles meles, Vulpes vulpes) in a fragmented landscape
No full textScent-stations are frequently used in North and South America to monitor carnivore populations, and their efficacy has been widely tested on various species. On the other hand, scent-stations have rarely been used to monitor European species and their efficacy has never been tested. Therefore, an acritical use on Eurasiatic species may lead to biased results, but also a neglection of this technique may limit methodological improvements. We evaluated scent-stations detection efficacy on three eurasiatic species: badger (Meles meles), fox (Vulpes vulpes) and beech marten (Martes foina) using data from a carnivore patch-use survey conducted in a fragmented landscape in the Province of Siena, central Italy. Scent-station survey data was compared with distribution data obtained from the utilisation of different techniques (track and camera trap surveys and interviews with local people) and an estimate of proportion of sites occupied inferred through the application of occupancy models. We show how by using scent-stations, fox distribution was largely underestimated, badger distribution was biased (this species was missed in small fragments) while beech marten (Martes foina) distribution was relatively unbiased. We conclude that application of this technique should follow a pilot study and cost/benefits should be carefully considered. (c) 2007 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Saugetierkunde. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved
Distribution and coexistence of shrews in patchy landscapes: A field test of multiple hypotheses
No full textDespite the important role of shrews (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) in the functioning of ecosystems, as predators and prey, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on this guild of mammals are still unclear. We studied the distribution of 5 species (the greater white toothed shrew Crocidura leucodon; the lesser white toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens; the pigmy shrew Sorex minutus; the Appennine shrew Sorex samniticus and the Etruscan shrew Suncus etruscus) in a fragmented landscape in central Italy. Shrews were trapped with pitfall traps made from plastic water bottles, the number of traps increased with patch size. A total of 170 individuals, of 5 species of shrews were captured. Shrews were widely distributed in our study area, however patch occupancy was determined mainly by vegetation and geometrical characteristics of the patches. Our data supports the hypotheses that patterns of habitat selection and the dynamics of seasonal abundance (habitat and temporal partitioning between similarly sized species) reduce competitive pressure, thus allowing coexistence of shrews in relatively species-rich assemblages, for such small amounts of habitat. The most important outcome of our results is the crucial role played by vegetation structure in determining distribution patterns. These results strongly suggest that measurements of the vegetation structure of habitat patches should always be included as explanatory variables when studying the distribution of shrews in fragmented landscapes. © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved
Patterns of interspecific and intraspecific microhabitat segregation of two rodents Praomys jacksoni (De Winton 1897) and Hylomyscus stella (Thomas 1911) (Rodentia) in an African rainforest subjected to various levels of anthropogenic disturbance
No full textPatterns of rodent species diversity and abundance in a Kenyan relict tropical rainforest.
No full textPilfering personalities: Effects of small mammal personality on cache pilferage
Full text linkSmall mammals such as mice and voles play a fundamental role in the ecosystem service of seed dispersal by caching seeds in small hoards that germinate under beneficial conditions. Pilferage is a critical step in this process in which animals steal seeds from other individuals' caches. Pilferers often recache stolen seeds, which are often pilfered by new individuals, who may recache again, and so on, potentially leading to compounded increased dispersal distance. However, little research has investigated intraspecific differences in pilfering frequency, despite its importance in better understanding the role of behavioural diversity in the valuable ecosystem service of seed dispersal. We conducted a field experiment in Maine (USA) investigating how intraspecific variation, including personality, influences pilferage effectiveness. Within the context of a long-term capture-mark-recapture study, we measured the unique personality of 3311 individual small mammals of 10 species over a 7-year period. For this experiment, we created artificial caches using eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) seeds monitored with trail cameras and buried antennas for individual identification. Of the 436 caches created, 83.5% were pilfered by 10 species, including deer mice ((Peromyscus maniculatus) and southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi). We show how individuals differ in their ability to pilfer seeds and that these differences are driven by personality, body condition and sex. More exploratory deer mice and those with lower body condition were more likely to locate a cache, and female southern red-backed voles were more likely than males to locate caches. Also, caches were more likely to be pilfered in areas of higher small mammal abundance. Because the risk of pilferage drives decisions concerning where an animal chooses to store seeds, pilferage pressure is thought to drive the evolution of food-hoarding behaviour. Our study shows that pilferage ability varies between individuals, meaning that some individuals have a disproportionately strong influence on others' caching decisions and disproportionately contribute to compounded longer-distance seed dispersal facilitated by pilferage. Our results add to a growing body of knowledge showing that the unique personalities of individual small mammals play a critical role in forest regeneration by impacting seed dispersal
Intraspecific variation in the landscape of fear: personality‐driven tradeoffs in habitat use
Full text linkThe landscape of fear framework posits that prey animals trade off between resource gain and safety when selecting habitat. Strategies for balancing this tradeoff vary among individuals, however, with personality acting as a potentially important factor driving differences. Animals are faced with real predation risk, perceived predation risk, and competition when selecting habitat in landscapes of fear, but few studies have simultaneously measured the effects of these three factors on habitat use, and none have done so while accounting for individual variability. Here, we contribute to the landscape of fear framework by assessing personality-driven tradeoffs in second-order (home range level) and third-order (within home range level) habitat use. We conducted a large-scale field study testing the personality of free-ranging deer mice Peromyscus maniculatus, white-footed mice Peromyscus leucopus, and southern red-backed voles Myodes gapperi in Maine (USA). We mapped individual space use and determined small mammal population numbers using capture–mark–recapture data, measured microhabitat features, and monitored terrestrial and avian predators to quantify competition, perceived risk (i.e. habitat cover), and real risk across individual areas of use (second-order) as well as across used trap sites (third-order). We included 133 deer mice, 69 white-footed mice, and 316 voles to assess relationships between habitat and personality and found evidence of personality–habitat relationships at both orders. Specifically, boldness, activity, and stress coping ability covary with predator presence; boldness, activity, and aggressiveness covary with competition levels; and activity and boldness covary with levels of microhabitat cover. Overall, we found relationships between personality and levels of competition, perceived risk, and real risk within habitats used by small mammals, providing empirical evidence of intraspecific variation in the landscape of fear. These findings highlight the role of personality in mediating habitat use at multiple scales, offering a potential mechanism driving personality-mediated survival rates
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