scholarly journals No place like home? A test of the natal habitat-biased dispersal hypothesis in Scandinavian wolves

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 181379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Sanz-Pérez ◽  
Andrés Ordiz ◽  
Håkan Sand ◽  
Jon E. Swenson ◽  
Petter Wabakken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Natal Habitat ◽  
Dispersal Distances ◽  
Term Monitoring

Natal dispersal is an important mechanism for the viability of populations. The influence of local conditions or experience gained in the natal habitat could improve fitness if dispersing individuals settle in an area with similar habitat characteristics. This process, defined as ‘natal habitat-biased dispersal’ (NHBD), has been used to explain distribution patterns in large carnivores, but actual studies evaluating it are rare. We tested whether grey wolf Canis lupus territory establishment was influenced by the habitat characteristics of the natal territory using the long-term monitoring of the Scandinavian wolf population. We paired the locations of natal and established territories, accounted for available habitats along the dispersing route, and compared their habitat characteristics for 271 wolves during 1998–2012. Wolves with the shortest dispersal distances established in natal-like habitat types more than expected by chance, whereas wolves that dispersed longer distances did not show NHBD. The pattern was consistent for male and female wolves, with females showing more NHBD than males. Chances to detect NHBD increased with the size of habitat defined as available. This highlights the importance of considering the biological characteristics of the studied species when defining habitat availability. Our methodological approach can prove useful to inform conservation and management to identify habitats to be selected by reintroduced or naturally expanding populations.

scholarly journals The Observatorio Astronómico Nacional - Tonantzintla: Site Evaluation

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S260) ◽  
Author(s):  
H.M. Hernández-Toledo ◽  
L.A. Martínez-Vázquez ◽  
A. Pani-Cielo
Keyword(s):  
Ccd Photometry ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Astronomy Education ◽  
Site Evaluation ◽  
New Instrumentation ◽  
Sky Conditions ◽  
Alternative Solutions ◽  
Term Monitoring

AbstractThe objective of this contribution is to present some results of an evaluation on the local conditions at the site that were considered in order to propose that the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Tonantzintla, (OAN-Tonantzintla) become a National Facility for Astronomy Education. The evaluation included a quantitative diagnostic (CCD photometry) on the quality of the local sky. The attributes of the 1-m telescope, the current instrumentation and a well planned upgrading that includes new instrumentation is considered at the basis for a successful transition maintaining the attractiveness of the site for astronomy education. A 3-year upgrading program actually in progress at UNAM is providing funding for that purpose. Physics and astronomy programs at college and graduated levels at UNAM will benefit from this, yielding clear connections among astronomy researchers and educators and students at various levels. Although the OAN-Tonantzintla faces the danger of deteriorating its sky conditions, we are maintaining awareness of the night sky characteristics in long-term monitoring campaigns and encouraging the local authorities to find alternative solutions to this problem.

scholarly journals Regional neutrality evolves through local adaptive niche evolution

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (7) ◽  
pp. 2612-2617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew A. Leibold ◽  
Mark C. Urban ◽  
Luc De Meester ◽  
Christopher A. Klausmeier ◽  
Joost Vanoverbeke
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Priority Effects ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Stable Coexistence ◽  
Landscape Level

Biodiversity in natural systems can be maintained either because niche differentiation among competitors facilitates stable coexistence or because equal fitness among neutral species allows for their long-term cooccurrence despite a slow drift toward extinction. Whereas the relative importance of these two ecological mechanisms has been well-studied in the absence of evolution, the role of local adaptive evolution in maintaining biological diversity through these processes is less clear. Here we study the contribution of local adaptive evolution to coexistence in a landscape of interconnected patches subject to disturbance. Under these conditions, early colonists to empty patches may adapt to local conditions sufficiently fast to prevent successful colonization by other preadapted species. Over the long term, the iteration of these local-scale priority effects results in niche convergence of species at the regional scale even though species tend to monopolize local patches. Thus, the dynamics evolve from stable coexistence through niche differentiation to neutral cooccurrence at the landscape level while still maintaining strong local niche segregation. Our results show that neutrality can emerge at the regional scale from local, niche-based adaptive evolution, potentially resolving why ecologists often observe neutral distribution patterns at the landscape level despite strong niche divergence among local communities.

scholarly journals Reproductive success of the threatened San Clemente Bell’s Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli clementeae) in recovering habitats is similar to success in historical habitat

The Condor ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan T Meiman ◽  
Emma E DeLeon ◽  
Andrew S Bridges
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Alternative Habitat ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Nesting Substrate ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
San Clemente Island

Abstract The San Clemente Bell’s Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli clementeae) is a federally threatened subspecies endemic to San Clemente Island, California. Previous research suggested dependence on boxthorn (Lycium californicum) as breeding habitat and nesting substrate; however, this conclusion was based on data collected when introduced feral ungulates had severely degraded the soil and vegetation cover. Since removal of the ungulates, native vegetation has gradually increased and the San Clemente Bell’s Sparrows have expanded into areas where habitat had been unsuitable. To explore how Bell’s Sparrows use these areas, we examined reproductive metrics associated with habitat covariates gathered at 214 nest sites used by Bell’s Sparrows from 2014 to 2016. We found that nest success in boxthorn habitat, previously considered an essential habitat for Bell’s Sparrow nesting, was similar to success in alternative habitat types. Our findings contradict previous conclusions that Bell’s Sparrows were boxthorn-dependent. We believe this previously documented relationship was likely due to the lack of available alternative nesting habitat following years of feral ungulate degradation, and Bell’s Sparrows now reproduce in multiple habitat types and throughout most of San Clemente Island. Furthermore, our findings illustrate the importance of long-term monitoring and corresponding adaptive management when monitoring species in changing and recovering landscapes.

Long-term monitoring of potamodromous migratory fish larvae in an undammed river

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Rogério Rosa ◽  
Jislaine Cristina Silva ◽  
Andréa Bialetzki
Keyword(s):  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Larval Density ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Larval Survival ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Survival And Growth ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Salminus Brasiliensis

Freshwater fish reproduce annually in environments that provide favourable conditions for spawning and larval survival and growth. Thus, the aims of this study were to use long-term larval density data to evaluate the temporal distribution of the dourado Salminus brasiliensis, its habitat use for larval development and the effects of environmental variables on reproduction. S. brasiliensis larvae were mainly recorded in October and January in the Ivinheima River, and higher densities of larvae, primarily in the preflexion and flexion stages, were captured in the river and backwater biotopes. Water level, dissolved oxygen and temperature were the primary variables affecting the density of larvae, and this species can migrate over 200km to reproduce in the Ivinheima River and its tributaries. Therefore, S. brasiliensis is reproducing annually, indicating favourable local conditions for migration and spawning, and exhibits differential use of biotopes for reproduction, including rivers and backwaters (spawning) and lagoons (refuge and growth). Therefore, considering that the dourado is a key species for conservation, ensuring its reproductive success means maintaining a balanced ecological structure.

Habitat connectivity, complexity, and quality: predicting adult coho salmon occupancy and abundance

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 1864-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara J. Anlauf-Dunn ◽  
Eric J. Ward ◽  
Matt Strickland ◽  
Kim Jones
Keyword(s):  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Predictive Capacity ◽  
Abundance Patterns ◽  
Modeling Techniques ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
Term Monitoring

The distribution, quality, and connectivity of instream habitat can influence adult salmon occupancy and abundance patterns and alter population dynamics. In this study, we evaluated the relationships between adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) occupancy and abundance with instream habitat conditions, including measures of spawning gravel, habitat complexity, and juvenile rearing habitat. We used corresponding adult salmon spawning and instream habitat data collected within coastal Oregon watersheds as part of a long-term monitoring program. We modeled two processes as a function of habitat characteristics: the number of coho salmon when they were present and the occupancy probabilities of coho salmon. The results from both submodels were then combined into an estimate of total abundance at each site. Adult coho salmon occupancy was best predicted by the capacity of the habitat to support parr during the winter, complex pools, percent bedrock, and site distance to the ocean. Although lacking the predictive capacity of the occupancy model, increases in adult coho counts at sites were also influenced by the site distance to the ocean, and there is evidence that both percent gravel and complex pools may also be valuable predictors. By taking advantage of long-term datasets with broad spatial range, using an integrative approach across coho salmon life stages, and utilizing innovative Bayesian modeling techniques, this study is a unique approach to understanding a complicated ecological narrative. Combined, our results indicate the spatial distribution and proximity of spawning and rearing habitats may maximize productivity for coho salmon in coastal Oregon watersheds.

An experimental test of habitat selection by rodents of Algonquin Park

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 1989-1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albrecht I. Schulte-Hostedde ◽  
Ronald J. Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Substrate Selection ◽  
Enclosure Experiment ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Napaeozapus Insignis ◽  
Term Monitoring

Using an enclosure experiment, we tested whether substrate selection by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), redback voles (Clethrionomys gapperi), and woodland jumping mice (Napaeozapus insignis) matched habitat-use patterns determined from trapping data. Mice were introduced into a 5 m diameter enclosure containing substrates from three habitats: maple, mixed, and coniferous forest. Trapping data were taken from a long-term monitoring study of small-mammal populations in Algonquin Park, Ontario. We used data from 1991 – 1995 from the three habitats used in the enclosure experiment. If competition or predation affects habitat distribution patterns, then, given a choice, mice should select different substrates in the enclosures from those they use in the field. Alternatively, if habitat use is not constrained by interactions with competitors or predators (i.e., if small mammals select habitats), then habitats used in the enclosure should match habitat distributions observed in the field. Habitats used in the field did not match habitats selected in the enclosure experiment for either deer mice or woodland jumping mice. Redback voles selected habitats similar to those used in the field. We conclude that interspecific competition and (or) predation may limit availability of habitats for deer mice and woodland jumping mice.

scholarly journals Drivers of damselfishes distribution patterns in the southwestern Atlantic: tropical and subtropical reefs compared

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laís de C. T. Chaves ◽  
João L. L. Feitosa ◽  
Túlio F. Xavier ◽  
Beatrice P. Ferreira ◽  
Carlos E. L. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic ◽  
Reef Environments ◽  
Subtropical Reefs ◽  
Term Monitoring

Abstract Damselfishes are known keystone species of reef environments, however large-scale distribution patterns are poorly studied in the southwestern Atlantic. We evaluated main drivers of distribution of three conspicuous damselfishes, along tropical and subtropical coastal systems, in Brazil. Abundances were assessed against wave exposure, depth (within 1–7 m in tropical and 1–11 m in subtropical reefs) and benthic cover. Despite differences between systems, exposure and depth consistently explained damselfishes distribution. Stegastes fuscus, the larger damselfish species of the genus in the southwestern Atlantic, was dominant in both systems, inhabiting preferably shallow and sheltered reefs. Conversely, Stegastes variabilis occupied shallow habitats with higher exposure. Stegastes pictus was absent from tropical reefs sampled, inhabiting depths >7 m, in subtropical reefs. Species were weakly associated with benthic features, which poorly predicted changes in abundances. Regardless, S. fuscus showed association with articulated calcareous algae, and S. variabilis juveniles associated with erect macroalgae. Despite occurring in very distinctive reef systems, Brazilian damsels habitat requirements are consistent in both tropical and subtropical reefs. While highly persistent species, long term monitoring will inform us how they respond to pervasive global changes and human impacts along Brazilian reefs.

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