scholarly journals Identification of Factors Affecting Predation Risk for Juvenile Turtles Using 3D Printed Models

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 275
Author(s):  
Sasha J. Tetzlaff ◽  
Alondra Estrada ◽  
Brett A. DeGregorio ◽  
Jinelle H. Sperry

Although it is widely accepted that juvenile turtles experience high levels of predation, such events are rarely observed, providing limited evidence regarding predator identities and how juvenile habitat selection and availability of sensory cues to predators affects predation risk. We placed three-dimensional printed models resembling juvenile box turtles (Terrapene carolina) across habitats commonly utilized by the species at three sites within their geographical range and monitored models with motion-triggered cameras. To explore how the presence or absence of visual and olfactory cues affected predator interactions with models, we employed a factorial design where models were either exposed or concealed and either did or did not have juvenile box turtle scent applied on them. Predators interacted with 18% of models during field trials. Nearly all interactions were by mesopredators (57%) and rodents (37%). Mesopredators were more likely to attack models than rodents; most (76%) attacks occurred by raccoons (Procyon lotor). Interactions by mesopredators were more likely to occur in wetlands than edges, and greater in edges than grasslands. Mesopredators were less likely to interact with models as surrounding vegetation height increased. Rodents were more likely to interact with models that were closer to woody structure and interacted with exposed models more than concealed ones, but model exposure had no effect on interactions by mesopredators. Scent treatment appeared to have no influence on interactions by either predator group. Our results suggest raccoons can pose high predation risk for juvenile turtles (although rodents could also be important predators) and habitat features at multiple spatial scales affect predator-specific predation risk. Factors affecting predation risk for juveniles are important to consider in management actions such as habitat alteration, translocation, or predator control.

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 1340-1349
Author(s):  
Jaime A Collazo ◽  
Matthew J Krachey ◽  
Kenneth H Pollock ◽  
Francisco J Pérez-Aguilo ◽  
Jan P Zegarra ◽  
...  

AbstractEffective management of the threatened Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Puerto Rico requires reliable estimates of population size. Estimates are needed to assess population responses to management actions, and whether recovery objectives have been met. Aerial surveys have been conducted since 1976, but none adjusted for imperfect detection. We summarize surveys since 1976, report on current distribution, and provide population estimates after accounting for apparent detection probability for surveys between June 2010 and March 2014. Estimates in areas of high concentration (hotspots) averaged 317 ± 101, three times higher than unadjusted counts (104 ± 0.56). Adjusted estimates in three areas outside hotspots also differed markedly from counts (75 ± 9.89 versus 19.5 ± 3.5). Average minimum island-wide estimate was 386 ± 89, similar to the maximum estimate of 360 suggested in 2005, but fewer than the 700 recently suggested by the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center. Manatees were more widespread than previously understood. Improving estimates, locally or island-wide, will require stratifying the island differently and greater knowledge about factors affecting detection probability. Sharing our protocol with partners in nearby islands (e.g., Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola), whose populations share genetic make-up, would contribute to enhanced regional conservation through better population estimates and tracking range expansion.El manejo efectivo del manatí antillano amenazado en Puerto Rico requiere estimados de tamaños de poblaciónes confiables. Dichas estimaciones poblacionales son necesarias para evaluar las respuestas a las acciones de manejo, y para determinar si los objetivos de recuperación han sido alcanzados. Se han realizado censos aéreos desde 1976, pero ninguno de ellos han sido ajustados para detecciones imperfectas. Aquí resumimos los censos desde 1976, actualizamos la distribución, y reportamos los primeros estimados poblacionales ajustados para la probabilidad de detección aparente en los censos de Junio 2010 a Marzo 2014. Las estimaciones poblacionales en áreas de mayor concentración del manatí promedió 317 ± 103, tres veces más abundante que los conteos sin ajuste (104 ± 0.56). Las estimaciones poblacionales en tres áreas fuera de las áreas de mayor concentración del manatí también fueron marcadamente diferentes (75 ± 9.89 vs 19.5 ± 3.5). El estimado mínimo poblacional en la isla entera fue de 386 ± 89, similar al estimado máximo de 360 sugerido en el año 2005, pero menor a los 700 sugeridos recientemente por el Centro de Conservación de Manatíes de Puerto Rico. Documentamos que el manatí tiene una distribución más amplia de lo que se sabía con anterioridad. El mejoramiento de los estimados poblacionales locales o a nivel de isla requerirá que se estratifique a la isla en forma diferente y que se investiguen los factores que influencian a la probabilidad de detección. Compartir protocolos como este con colaboradores de islas vecinas (por. ej., Cuba, Jamaica, Española), cuyas poblaciones de manatíes comparten material genético, contribuiría a la conservación regional mediante mejores estimaciones poblacionales y monitoreo de la expansión de su ámbito doméstico.


2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianpasquale Chiatante ◽  
Marta Giordano ◽  
Anna Vidus Rosin ◽  
Oreste Sacchi ◽  
Alberto Meriggi

AbstractMore than half of the European population of the Barbary Partridge is in Sardinia; nonetheless, the researches concerning this species are very scarce, and its conservation status is not defined because of a deficiency of data. This research aimed to analyse the habitat selection and the factors affecting the abundance and the density of the Barbary Partridge in Sardinia. We used the data collected over 8 years (between 2004 and 2013) by spring call counts in 67 study sites spread on the whole island. We used GLMM to define the relationships between the environment (topography, land use, climate) both the occurrence and the abundance of the species. Moreover, we estimated population densities by distance sampling. The Barbary Partridge occurred in areas at low altitude with garrigue and pastures, avoiding woodlands and sparsely vegetated areas. We found a strong relationship between the occurrence probability and the climate, in particular, a positive relation with temperature and a negative effect of precipitation, especially in April–May, during brood rearing. Furthermore, dry crops positively affected the abundance of the species. We estimated a density of 14.1 partridges per km2, similar to other known estimates. Our findings are important both because they increase the knowledge concerning this species, which is considered data deficient in Italy, and because they are useful to plan management actions aimed to maintain viable populations if necessary.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 160368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Campbell Murn ◽  
Graham J. Holloway

Species occurring at low density can be difficult to detect and if not properly accounted for, imperfect detection will lead to inaccurate estimates of occupancy. Understanding sources of variation in detection probability and how they can be managed is a key part of monitoring. We used sightings data of a low-density and elusive raptor (white-headed vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis ) in areas of known occupancy (breeding territories) in a likelihood-based modelling approach to calculate detection probability and the factors affecting it. Because occupancy was known a priori to be 100%, we fixed the model occupancy parameter to 1.0 and focused on identifying sources of variation in detection probability. Using detection histories from 359 territory visits, we assessed nine covariates in 29 candidate models. The model with the highest support indicated that observer speed during a survey, combined with temporal covariates such as time of year and length of time within a territory, had the highest influence on the detection probability. Averaged detection probability was 0.207 (s.e. 0.033) and based on this the mean number of visits required to determine within 95% confidence that white-headed vultures are absent from a breeding area is 13 (95% CI: 9–20). Topographical and habitat covariates contributed little to the best models and had little effect on detection probability. We highlight that low detection probabilities of some species means that emphasizing habitat covariates could lead to spurious results in occupancy models that do not also incorporate temporal components. While variation in detection probability is complex and influenced by effects at both temporal and spatial scales, temporal covariates can and should be controlled as part of robust survey methods. Our results emphasize the importance of accounting for detection probability in occupancy studies, particularly during presence/absence studies for species such as raptors that are widespread and occur at low densities.


Crustaceana ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 88 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 839-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hesse ◽  
J. A. Stanley ◽  
A. G. Jeffs

Kelp habitats are in decline in many temperate coastal regions of the world due to climate change and expansion of populations of grazing urchins. The loss of kelp habitat may influence the vulnerability to predators of the juveniles of commercially important species. In this study relative predation rates for kelp versus barren reef habitat were measured for early juvenile Australasian spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii (Hutton, 1875), on the northeastern coast of New Zealand using tethering methods. Variation in assemblages of predators over small spatial scales appeared to be more important for determining the relative predation of lobsters, regardless of habitat type. Therefore, the assessment of relative predation risk to early juvenile lobsters between kelp and barren habitats will require more extensive sampling at a small spatial scale, as well as a specific focus on sampling during crepuscular and nocturnal periods when these lobsters are most at risk of predation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matúš Hyžný

AbstractDecapod associations have been significant components of marine habitats throughout the Cenozoic when the major diversification of the group occurred. In this respect, the circum-Mediterranean area is of particular interest due to its complex palaeogeographic history. During the Oligo-Miocene, it was divided in two major areas, Mediterranean and Paratethys. Decapod crustaceans from the Paratethys Sea have been reported in the literature since the 19thcentury, but only recent research advances allow evaluation of the diversity and distribution patterns of the group. Altogether 176 species-level taxa have been identified from the Oligocene and Miocene of the Western and Central Paratethys. Using the three-dimensional NMDS analysis, the composition of decapod crustacean faunas of the Paratethys shows significant differences through time. The Ottnangian and Karpatian decapod associations were similar to each other both taxonomically and in the mode of preservation, and they differed taxonomically from the Badenian ones. The Early Badenian assemblages also differed taxonomically from the Late Badenian ones. The time factor, including speciation, immigration from other provinces and/or (local or global) extinction, can explain temporal differences among assemblages within the same environment. High decapod diversity during the Badenian was correlated with the presence of reefal settings. The Badenian was the time with the highest decapod diversity, which can, however, be a consequence of undersampling of other time slices. Whereas the Ottnangian and Karpatian decapod assemblages are preserved virtually exclusively in the siliciclastic “Schlier”-type facies that originated in non-reefal offshore environments, carbonate sedimentation and the presence of reefal environments during the Badenian in the Central Paratethys promoted thriving of more diverse reef-associated assemblages. In general, Paratethyan decapods exhibited homogeneous distribution during the Oligo-Miocene among the basins in the Paratethys. Based on the co-occurrence of certain decapod species, migration between the Paratethys and the North Sea during the Early Miocene probably occurred via the Rhine Graben. At larger spatial scales, our results suggest that the circum-Mediterranean marine decapod taxa migrated in an easterly direction during the Oligocene and/or Miocene, establishing present-day decapod communities in the Indo-West Pacific.


Author(s):  
Hao Gong ◽  
Jianhua Liu ◽  
Xiaoyu Ding

An understanding of conditions that trigger the loosening of bolted joints is essential to ensure joint reliability. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element model of a typical bolted joint is developed, and a new simulation method is proposed to quantitatively identify the critical transverse force for initiating loosening. This force is used to evaluate the anti-loosening capacity of bolted joints. Using the proposed simulation method, the effects of factors affecting critical loosening are systematically studied. It is found that the preload, frictional coefficients at the thread and the bearing surfaces, clamped length, and fit tolerance mainly affected loosening. When the preload and friction coefficients are increased, and the clamped length and fit tolerance are reduced, loosening is inhibited. Experiments are performed to demonstrate the reliability of the results. Finally, a suggestion is proposed to improve the design guideline VDI 2230 for bolted joints, which considers the requirement of avoiding loosening under vibrational loading.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 2061-2081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xudong Zhou ◽  
Jan Polcher ◽  
Tao Yang ◽  
Ching-Sheng Huang

Abstract. Ensemble estimates based on multiple datasets are frequently applied once many datasets are available for the same climatic variable. An uncertainty estimate based on the difference between the ensemble datasets is always provided along with the ensemble mean estimate to show to what extent the ensemble members are consistent with each other. However, one fundamental flaw of classic uncertainty estimates is that only the uncertainty in one dimension (either the temporal variability or the spatial heterogeneity) can be considered, whereas the variation along the other dimension is dismissed due to limitations in algorithms for classic uncertainty estimates, resulting in an incomplete assessment of the uncertainties. This study introduces a three-dimensional variance partitioning approach and proposes a new uncertainty estimation (Ue) that includes the data uncertainties in both spatiotemporal scales. The new approach avoids pre-averaging in either of the spatiotemporal dimensions and, as a result, the Ue estimate is around 20 % higher than the classic uncertainty metrics. The deviation of Ue from the classic metrics is apparent for regions with strong spatial heterogeneity and where the variations significantly differ in temporal and spatial scales. This shows that classic metrics underestimate the uncertainty through averaging, which means a loss of information in the variations across spatiotemporal scales. Decomposing the formula for Ue shows that Ue has integrated four different variations across the ensemble dataset members, while only two of the components are represented in the classic uncertainty estimates. This analysis of the decomposition explains the correlation as well as the differences between the newly proposed Ue and the two classic uncertainty metrics. The new approach is implemented and analysed with multiple precipitation products of different types (e.g. gauge-based products, merged products and GCMs) which contain different sources of uncertainties with different magnitudes. Ue of the gauge-based precipitation products is the smallest, while Ue of the other products is generally larger because other uncertainty sources are included and the constraints of the observations are not as strong as in gauge-based products. This new three-dimensional approach is flexible in its structure and particularly suitable for a comprehensive assessment of multiple datasets over large regions within any given period.


1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Khalid

The relationship between turbomachinery blade circulation and tip clearance vortex circulation measured experimentally is examined using three-dimensional viscous flow computations. It is shown that the clearance vortex circulation one would measure is dependent on the placement of the fluid contour around which the circulation measurement is taken. Radial transport of vorticity results in the magnitude of the measured clearance vortex circulation generally being less than the blade circulation. For compressors, radial transport of vorticity shed from the blade tip in proximity to the endwall is the principal contributor to the discrepancy between the measured vortex circulation and blade circulation. Further, diffusion of vorticity shed at the blade tip toward the endwall makes it impossible in most practical cases to construct a fluid contour around the vortex that encloses all, and only, the vorticity shed from the blade tip. One should thus not expect agreement between measured tip clearance vortex circulation and circulation around the blade.


Ecoscience ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance L. Browne ◽  
Cynthia A. Paszkowski ◽  
A. Lee Foote ◽  
Alissa Moenting ◽  
Shelly M. Boss

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