1,721,063 research outputs found
Targeting habitat management in fragmented landscapes: a case study with forest vertebrates
No full textSmall mammal tree seed selection in mixed forests of the Eastern United States
Full text linkSmall mammals play a critical role in forest ecosystems as both seed predators and dispersers; they have been shown to affect tree species composition within forests and may significantly reduce recruitment rates of certain tree species, many of which are commercially valuable. Thus, understanding small mammal seed preference is essential for both animal ecologists and foresters. Although extensive research on small mammal seed choice has been conducted both in North America and Europe, limited knowledge is available on: (1) the effects of silvicultural practices on seed choice; (2) seed selection - as most studies focus on seed use; and (3) certain understudied seed-small mammals interactions - e.g. few studies have concurrently examined both coniferous and deciduous seeds from North American mixed forests, and the seed selection of some small mammal species is not well-known (e.g. Napaeozapus). To contribute to filling these gaps, our study focused on the following objectives: (1) to quantify seed selection of seven forest seed species by small mammal species within the mixed forests of the eastern US; (2) to evaluate the influence of silvicultural practices on seed choice; (3) to explore relationships between seed choice and environmental factors such as weather and microhabitat.
We conducted a series of cafeteria-style experiments in the field and in the laboratory; 2459 seed choice events, mostly by four small mammal species (Peromyscus maniculatus, Myodes gapperi, Napaeozapus insignis, and Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) were analyzed using multinomial mixed-effect models, allowing us to determine the probability of selection for each seed species. We identified a consistently high-preference seed (Pinus strobus) and one low-preference seed (Betula papyrifera). All other species (Acer rubrum, Picea rubens, Tsuga canadensis, Quercus rubra, and to some extent, Abies balsamea) had intermediate preference levels. Indeed, selection varied also by small mammal species (e.g. Acer rubrum was the top choice for Myodes gapperi in the field).
Further, we found that the silvicultural practices examined here (even-aged management, two-stage shelterwood, and unmanaged) did not directly influence seed choice, whereas illumination (night- and day-time light levels), rain, and temperature did, and the magnitude of the effects varied by small mammal species. Our results show that in mixed forests, small mammals may impact seeds of economically valuable trees (e.g. Pinus strobus and Acer rubrum), whereas they may ignore seeds of less valuable trees (e.g. Betula papyrifera and Abies balsamea). We recommend that forest managers consider small mammal communities when developing forest regeneration plans
Effects of landscape transformation on bird colonization and extinction patterns in a large-scale, long-term natural experiment
No full textEstimating detection probability, proportion of sites occupied and sample size using presence /absence data: a case study of rodents in a fragmented landscape in Central Italy
No full textThe status of research on the mammals of Sulawesi, Indonesia
Full text linkThe Indonesian island of Sulawesi is widely considered a mammal conservation hotspot, mainly due to the high number of threatened endemic species with limited geographical ranges that are found there, and also due to the biogeographical importance of Sulawesi as the largest island in the Wallacea region. To date, there has been no comprehensive review to evaluate the status of what we know about mammals in Sulawesi. The overarching goal of our review is to contribute towards identifying knowledge gaps in the biology and ecology of mammals in Sulawesi. Our specific aims were to: 1) identify taxonomic and geographic bias in published research; 2) identify biases within existing ecological knowledge; and 3) identify key research priorities for the future. Our review covers a total of 280 articles (published between 1921 and 2017) on 144 species of mammal from Sulawesi. Through our review we found: 1) a strong taxonomic bias, with the majority of studies being conducted on primates (59% of published articles); 2) a geographic bias, where significantly fewer studies took place in the provinces of West Sulawesi and Gorontalo; and 3) a bias in research topics, with most studies (50% of published research) focusing on taxonomy and behaviour. As an outcome of this review, we provide specific recommendations for future researchers, including: 1) a checklist of understudied species, with particular emphasis on understudied species of conservation concern; 2) a checklist of understudied research topics, with an emphasis on the need to conduct detailed auto-ecological studies; and 3) suggestions on how to adjust research methods on population and habitat studies
Mind the trap: large-scale field experiment shows that trappability is not a proxy for personality
No full textBehavioural tendencies vary consistently among individuals and this variation is known as personality. Previous studies have found that personality traits measured through standardized behavioural tests predict trappability (i.e. 'trap happy' versus 'trap shy'). However, the nature of this relationship is unclear since it has been explored only within single species and never across environments. This is problematic because trappability is a labile characteristic that can vary between seasons, environments and years. It is essential to understand this link because there is great potential for the use of trappability as a proxy for personality. For example, if trappability reflects personality, this would allow researchers to extract personality data from long-term capture-mark-recapture data sets. To clarify this relationship, we designed a large-scale field experiment to measure personality and trappability in five small mammal species and across four distinct forest types. With an open field test, we quantified behaviour in 189 deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, 170 southern red-backed voles, Myodes gapperi, 42 American red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, 58 woodland jumping mice, Napaeozapus insignis, and 87 northern short-tailed shrews, Blarina brevicauda. We identified personality in all five of our target species, and through mixed-effects modelling we found that personality traits did not predict different aspects of trappability. Furthermore, trappability was not a repeatable measure (i.e. animals that were trap happy in one session were not necessarily trap happy throughout the trapping season). Our results suggest that trappability cannot be used as a proxy for personality. (C) 2018 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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