The influence of habitat patch attributes on coyote group size and interaction in a fragmented landscape

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd C Atwood
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Spatial Interaction ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Model Group ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Resource Patches ◽  
Patch Attributes

From February 2000 to January 2002, I investigated correlates of landscape fragmentation with coyote (Canis latrans Say, 1823) group size and resulting effects on within-group spatial interaction in west-central Indiana, USA, to determine whether habitat patch dispersion and attributes mediated group maintenance and persistence. Twenty-one radio-collared coyotes were assigned to 15 social groups; group territories were then classified as having dispersed (n = 10) or aggregated (n = 5) resource patches. Group size was larger in territories with aggregated patches and was directly correlated to forest area and inversely correlated to corridor area (top-ranked model: group size = β0 + forest area – corridor area; AICc =  –2.12, ΔAICc = 0.0, ωi = 0.67). Territories with aggregated patches had proportionally more forest (mean = 0.41, SE = 0.02) and less corridor (mean = 0.01, SE = 0.002) habitats than territories with dispersed patches (forest area: mean = 0.11, SE = 0.01; corridor area: mean = 0.03, SE = 0.002). Within-group spatial interaction was not influenced by patch dispersion. I suggest that differences in territory and group sizes relative to patch dispersion reflect the complex combination of environmental pressures present in human-dominated landscapes and their potential to perturb canid social organization.

Habitat patch size and mating system as determinants of social group size in coral-dwelling fishes

Coral Reefs ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. J. Thompson ◽  
P. L. Munday ◽  
G. P. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Habitat Patch Size

Behavioural asymmetries and cohesive mother–offspring sociality in bushy-tailed wood rats

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Moses ◽  
John S. Millar
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Agonistic Behaviour ◽  
Rock Outcrops ◽  
Neotoma Cinerea ◽  
Behavioural Asymmetries ◽  
Behavioural Interactions ◽  
Resource Patches

Bushy-tailed wood rats (Neotoma cinerea) are usually confined to highly clumped resource patches (i.e., rock outcrops), and potentially compete for limited den sites within outcrops. Adults may breed on the same outcrop over several years, and philopatric yearlings usually breed in proximity to close kin. We investigated the influence of kinship and reproductive status on the nature and stability of wood rat sociality. Behavioural interactions among mother–offspring and adult female – nonkin dyads from the wild were quantified in a neutral arena during (i) the autumn when offspring were immature subadults, and (ii) the following spring, when all dyad members were reproductively active. Nonkin dyads were characterized almost entirely by agonistic behaviour. Virtually all amicable behaviour was directed toward close kin, and most interactions among kin dyads were amicable. Further, these strong kin-based behavioural asymmetries did not differ between the autumn and the subsequent breeding season, and could not be explained by postweaning familiarity (i.e., residency on a common habitat patch) alone. Wood rat sociality appears to be characterized by two elements: (i) divisive agonism directed toward nonkin, and (ii) stable, cohesive relationships among close kin (mother–offspring). Possible causes and consequences of sociality in bushy-tailed wood rats are discussed.

scholarly journals Dispersal syndrome and landscape fragmentation in the salt-marsh specialist spider Erigone longipalpis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime Dahirel ◽  
Marie Wullschleger ◽  
Tristan Berry ◽  
Solène Croci ◽  
Julien Pétillon
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Dispersal Syndrome ◽  
Dispersal Syndromes ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Response To Environmental Change

AbstractDispersal and its evolution play a key role for population persistence in fragmented landscapes where habitat loss and fragmentation increase the cost of between-habitat movements. In such contexts, it is important to know how variation in dispersal and other traits is structured, and whether responses to landscape fragmentation are aligned with underlying dispersal-trait correlations, or dispersal syndromes. We therefore studied trait variation in Erigone longipalpis, a spider species specialist of (often patchy) salt marshes. We collected spiders in two salt-marsh landscapes differing in habitat availability. We then reared lab-born spiders for two generations in controlled conditions, and measured dispersal and its association with various key traits. E. longipalpis population densities were lower in the more fragmented landscape. Despite this, we found no evidence of differences in dispersal, or any other trait we studied, between the two landscapes. While a dispersal syndrome was present at the among-individual level (dispersers were more fecund and faster growing, among others), there was no indication it was genetically driven: among-family differences in dispersal were not correlated with differences in other traits. Instead, we showed that the observed phenotypic covariations were mostly due to within-family correlations. We hypothesize that the dispersal syndrome is the result of asymmetric food access among siblings, leading to variation in development rates and carrying over to adult traits. Our results show we need to better understand the sources of dispersal variation and syndromes, especially when dispersal may evolve rapidly in response to environmental change.

scholarly journals Habitat Patch Size and Landscape Structure Influence, Although Weakly, the Parasite Richness of an Arboreal Folivorous-frugivorous Primate in Anthropogenic Landscapes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinícius Freitas Klain ◽  
Márcia Bohrer Mentz ◽  
Sebastián Bustamante-Manrique ◽  
Júlio César Bicca-Marques
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Howler Monkeys ◽  
Anthropogenic Landscapes ◽  
Host Group ◽  
Parasite Richness ◽  
Habitat Patch Size

Abstract ContextAnthropogenic habitat disturbances that affect the ecology and behavior of parasites and hosts can either facilitate or compromise their interactions and modulate the parasite richness.ObjectivesWe assessed if the size of the habitat patch, the composition and configuration of the landscape (forest cover, patch density and mean distance to the nearest patch) and host group size influence the parasite richness of brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) inhabiting forest fragments immersed in an anthropogenic matrix.MethodsWe collected fecal samples from 60 howler monkey groups inhabiting distinct forest fragments (one group/fragment) from January to July 2019. We used generalized linear models to assess the power of the independent variables in predicting parasite richness at the patch- and patch-landscape scales.ResultsWe found 10 parasite taxa (five basal eukaryotes, four nematodes and one platyhelminth), nine of which also infect humans or domestic animals. Overall parasite richness showed an inverse relationship with habitat patch size and forest cover, and a direct relationship with the mean distance to the nearest patch and group size. Patch-landscape metrics and host group size also influenced the infection with parasites with direct cycle and transmission via ingestion of the infective stage in the arboreal environment or with parasites with indirect cycle and transmission via ingestion of intermediate hosts. However, all significant models presented low weight.ConclusionsWe suggest that characteristics of parasite and host populations among other factors are more critical modulators of the relationship between howler monkeys and their parasites in anthropogenic landscapes.

scholarly journals Small mammals in high fragmented landscape in Cerrado/Atlantic Forest ecotone, Southeastern Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe S. Machado ◽  
Aloysio S. Moura ◽  
Ravi F. Mariano ◽  
Rubens Manoel dos Santos ◽  
Paulo O. Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Environmental Filters ◽  
Generalist Species

ABSTRACT Exploratory human activities have resulted in small fragments inserted into a matrix which is inhospitable to small non-flying mammals. The effects of landscape changes alter the distribution patterns of species. Landscape fragmentation patterns for small mammals are controversial, especially considering small fragments and ecotonal regions. Based on these arguments, we investigated the diversity patterns of small mammals in small fragments in the ecotonal Cerrado/Atlantic Forest region. A total of 24 fragments (<40 ha) were studied using tomahawk, sherman and pitfall traps. We found low species richness (11 species, six marsupials and five rodents), which was not expected because it is an ecotonal region. It was verified that composition and community structure are simplified by the marked presence of generalist species and with the increase of species turnover. The small forest fragments present a microhabitat structure with lianas and streams as main environmental filters of groups with ecological similarities. Our findings suggest that these fragments must be managed in order to conserve the local biodiversity and maintain the needed characteristics to enable the occurrence of different ecological groups.

scholarly journals Forest area and connectivity influence root-associated fungal communities in a fragmented landscape

Ecology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (9) ◽  
pp. 2374-2383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Vannette ◽  
Devin R. Leopold ◽  
Tadashi Fukami
Keyword(s):  
Forest Area ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Fragmented Landscape

scholarly journals Effects of Landscape Fragmentation on Genetic Diversity of Male-Biased Dioecious Plant Pistacia chinensis Bunge Populations

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 792
Author(s):  
Lu ◽  
Qiu ◽  
Lu
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Restricted Gene Flow ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Dioecious Plant ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Fragmented Population ◽  
Different Populations

Pistacia chinensis Bunge (Anacardiaceae) is a dioecious woody plant of significant economic values that is used in traditional Chinese Medicine as well as for wood production. More importantly, it is one of the ideal tree species for bio-diesel production because of the high oil content in its seeds. In this study, we aim to reveal the effects of landscape fragmentation on the genetic diversity (GD) of the dioecious plant Pistacia chinensis populations. A total of nine microsatellites were used to genotype 180 P. chinensis individuals from six populations to estimate the differences in GD between different populations. The study revealed that genetic diversity of the P. chinensis population as a whole is relatively high in the Thousand-Island Lake (TIL) region, but its fragmented landscape still led to the loss of rare alleles, especially in a fragmented small population, a post-fragmented population, and a male population. The partitioning of a large continuous population into small isolated remnant patches led to the direct loss of genetic diversity and, subsequently, because of the mediated gene flow of seeds and pollen, genetic drift, and the spatial distribution of existing plants, the GD gradually decreased. The restricted gene flow and the increase in self-pollination and inbreeding impaired the population’s long-term development. Therefore, the wild P. chinensis populations in the TIL region needs effective protective measures, including foreign artificial pollination and seedling transplantations.

scholarly journals Host anemone size as a determinant of social group size and structure in the orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula)

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette Chausson ◽  
Maya Srinivasan ◽  
Geoffrey P. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Path Analysis ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Habitat Patch ◽  
Behavioral Interactions ◽  
Amphiprion Percula ◽  
Size And Structure

The size and structure of social groups of animals can be governed by a range of ecological factors and behavioral interactions. In small, highly site-attached coral reef fishes, group size is often constrained by the size of the habitat patch they are restricted to. However, group size may also be influenced by changes in abundance along important environmental gradients, such as depth or distance offshore. In addition, the body size and sex structure within social groups can be determined by the size of the habitat patch and the dominance relationships among group members. Here we examined the roles of ecological factors and behavioral interactions in governing group size and structure in the orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, on inshore reefs in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. We quantified relationships between ecological variables (anemone size, depth, and distance from shore) and social group variables (group size, and total body length of the three largest individuals (ranks 1, 2, and 3)). Anemone size explained the greatest amount of variation in group variables, with strong, positive relationships between anemone surface area and group size, and total length of individuals ranked 1, 2, and 3. Group structure was also weakly correlated with increasing depth and distance from shore, most likely through the indirect effects of these environmental gradients on anemone size. Variation in group size and the lengths of ranks 2 and 3 were all closely related to the length of rank 1. Path analysis indicated that anemone size has a strong direct effect on the length of rank 1. In turn, the length of rank 1 directly affects the size of the subordinate individuals and indirectly affects the group size through its influence on subordinates. Hence, anemone size directly and indirectly controls social group size and structure in this space-limited fish species. It is also likely that anemonefish have feedback effects on anemone size, although this could not be differentiated in the path analysis.

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