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opencc-zeroJul 2024View details →

Landscape-level habitat connectivity of large mammals in Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, Nepal

The populations of many species of large mammals occur in small isolated and fragmented habitat patches in the human-dominated landscape. Maintenance of habitat connectivity in fragmented landscapes is important for maintaining a healthy population of large mammals. This study evaluated the landscape patches and their linkages on two carnivores (leopard and Himalayan black bear) and seven prey species (northern red muntjac, chital, sambar, wild pig, Himalayan goral, rhesus macaque, and langur) between Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) by using the least-cost path approach and the Linkage Mapper tool in ArcGIS. A total of 15 habitat patches (average area 26.67 ± 12.70 km2) were identified that had more than 50% of the total studied mammals. A weak relation among the habitat patches was found for chital and sambar (Cost-weighted distance CWD: Euclidean distance EucD >100), showed poor connectivity between the habitat patches, while the ratio of CWD and EucD was low (i.e., low least-cost path) between the majority of the patches for muntjac, wild pig and leopard hence had potential functional connectivity along the landscape. Similarly, a low least cost path between the habitat patches located in the mid-hills was observed for Himalayan goral and Himalayan black bears. Furthermore, the multi-species connectivity analysis identified the potential structural connectivity between the isolated populations and habitat patches. Therefore, these sites need to be considered connectivity hotspots and be prioritized for the conservation of large mammals in the landscape.

Fig. 4. A-D – Ceratotherium neumayri from Mahmutgazi. A in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 4. A-D – Ceratotherium neumayri from Mahmutgazi. A: skull Ma2-Gips15 (A1: lateral view; A2: ventral view; A3: occipital view). B: astragalus Ma2-Gips15 (B1: plantar view; B2: lateral view; B3: anterior view). C: upper tooth row Ma2- Gips16, occlusal view. D: set of left metacarpals Ma1-94. Scale bar = 20 cm for Figs. A and D, 10 cm for Fig. B and C.

Fig. 6 in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 6. Simpson graphs of hipparionine metapodials. I chose to use Cremohipparion mediterraneum from Pikermi (KOUFOS 1987) as a standard, because this species is more relevant than the central European Höwenegg form. 1 = maximum length; 3 = width of shaft; 5 = proximal breadth; 10 = distal supra-articular width; 11 = distal articular width; 12 = maximum distal antero-posterior diameter.

Fig. 2 in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 2. Plot of length vs. distal width of late Miocene giraffid metacarpals (KTA = Kemiklitepe, upper level; Slq = lower Axios valley, ARAMBOURGʼS collection). Data from KOSTOPOULOS (2009a), and original measurements.

Fig. 3 in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 3. Plot of medial length vs. distal width of late Miocene giraffid astragali. Note that 'Maragha' includes both S. neumayri and Palaeotragus coelophrys. Data from KOSTOPOULOS (2009a), and original measurements.

Fig. 1. Artiodactyla from Mahmutgazi. A-L – Samotherium major. A in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 1. Artiodactyla from Mahmutgazi. A-L – Samotherium major. A: left mandible Ma3 (A1: occlusal view; A2: lateral view of the rostral part). B, maxilla with P3-M2 Ma2-Gips29. C-D: tibiae in anterior view (C: MA2-Gips16; D: Ma2- Gips11). E: distal humerus n°54, anterior view. F-H: metacarpals in anterior view (F: Ma2-Gips17; G, H: Ma2-Gips20). I: cubonavicular Ma1-Gips10, distal view, to show the absence of plantar metatarsal facet. J: astragalus Ma1-Gips10, anterior view. K: upper deciduous tooth-row Ma1-Gips3. L: lower dp3-dp4 Ma1-Gips11. M – Tragoportax sp., right upper tooth row. N: Miotragocerus (Pikermicerus) gaudryi, left lower tooth-row. Scale bar = 5 cm for Figs. M, N, 10 cm for Figs. A, B, and I-L, 25 cm for Figs. C-H.

Fig. 5. Perissodactyla from Mahmutgazi. A-C in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 5. Perissodactyla from Mahmutgazi. A-C – Hipparionini gen. et sp. indet. (A: upper P2–M3 Ma2-Gips24; B: upper P2-M3 Ma2-Gips3; C: lower p2-m3 'M' [reversed from the right side]). D-G – Cremohipparion cf. matthewi (D: upper P2- M3 Ma1-Gips 17 [reversed from the left side]; E: lower p3-m3 'K'; F: lower p2-m2 'H'; G: lower p3-m3 'J' [reversed from the right side]). H – Ancylotherium pentelicum, front view of proximal metacarpals Ma2-Gips21. Scale bar = 5 cm for Figs. A-G, 10 cm for Fig. H.

Fig. 5. Perissodactyla from Mahmutgazi. A-C in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 3 in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 1. Artiodactyla from Mahmutgazi. A-L – Samotherium major. A in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 2 in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 4. A-D – Ceratotherium neumayri from Mahmutgazi. A in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

Fig. 6 in Late Miocene large mammals from Mahmutgazi, Denizli province, Western Turkey

opennotspecifiedMar 2024View details →

Figure 2 in Medium and large mammals in an Andean National Park in southwestern Colombia

Figure 2: Daily activity of species recorded in the Doña Juana Cascabel Volcanic Complex National Natural Park between October 2017 and February 2018.

opennotspecifiedMar 2024View details →

Figure 3 in Medium and large mammals in an Andean National Park in southwestern Colombia

Figure 3: Species recorded using camera traps in the Doña Juana Cascabel Volcanic Complex National Natural Park and its zone of influence, between October 2017 and February 2018. (A) Didelphis marsupialis, (B) Puma concolor, (C) Leopardus pardalis, (D) Tremarctos ornatus, (E) Mazama rufina, (F) Tapirus pinchaque, (G) Cuniculus paca, (H) Dasyprocta punctata.

opennotspecifiedMar 2024View details →

Figure 1 in Medium and large mammals in an Andean National Park in southwestern Colombia

Figure 1: Location of the Doña Juana Cascabel Volcanic Complex National Natural Park. Each point specifies the positioning of an automatic camera within the park or its buffer zone. Additional information on the locations can be found in Table 1.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Large‐scale molecular diet analysis in a generalist marine mammal reveals male preference for prey of conservation concern

Sex‐specific diet information is important in the determination of predator impacts on prey populations. Unfortunately, the diet of males and females can be difficult to describe, particularly when they are marine predators. We combined two molecular techniques to describe haul‐out use and prey preferences of male and female harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from Comox and Cowichan Bay (Canada) during 2012–2013. DNA metabarcoding quantified the diet proportions comprised of prey species in harbor seal scat, and qPCR determined the sex of the individual that deposited each scat. Using 287 female and 260 male samples, we compared the monthly sex ratio with GLMs and analyzed prey consumption relative to sex, season, site, and year with PERMANOVA. The sex ratio between monthly samples differed widely in both years (range = 12%–79% males) and showed different patterns at each haul‐out site. Male and female diet differed across both years and sites: Females consumed a high proportion of demersal fish species while males consumed more salmonid species. Diet composition was related to both sex and season (PERMANOVA: R2 = 27%, p < 0.001; R2 = 24%, p < 0.001, respectively) and their interaction (PERMANOVA: R2 = 11%, p < 0.001). Diet differences between males and females were consistent across site and year, suggesting fundamental foraging differences, including that males may have a larger impact on salmonids than females. Our novel combination of techniques allowed for both prey taxonomic and spatiotemporal resolution unprecedented in marine predators.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Natal habitat preference induction in large mammals – Like mother, like child?

Habitat selection has received considerable attention from ecologists during the last decades, yet the underlying forces shaping individual differences in habitat selection are poorly documented. Some of these differences could be explained by the early experience of individuals in their natal habitat. By selecting habitat attributes like those encountered early in life, individuals could improve resource acquisition, survival, and ultimately fitness. This behaviour, known as natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), could be particularly common in large mammals, because offspring generally stay with their mother for an extended period. We used three complementary approaches to assess NHPI in a marked population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou): 1) population-based resource selection functions (RSFs), 2) individual-based RSFs, and 3) behavioural repeatability analyses. All approaches compared the behaviour of calves in their natal range to their behaviour as independent subadults during the snow-covered (Dec – Apr) and snow-free (May – Nov) seasons. Using RSFs, we found that the magnitude of habitat selection between calf and subadult stages differed for most covariates, yet the signs of statistically significant effects (selection vs. avoidance) were generally the same. We also found that some habitat selection tactics were highly repeatable across life stages. Notably, caribou responses to habitat disturbances were highly repeatable year-round, meaning that different individuals reacted differently, but consistently, to disturbances. This study highlights the potential role of natal habitat preference induction in shaping individual differences in habitat selection in large mammals and provides valuable knowledge for the management and conservation of a threatened species.

opencc-zeroJul 2023View details →

Data from: Long term monitoring reveals the importance of large, long unburnt areas and smaller fires in moderating mammal declines in fire-prone savanna of northern Australia

Biodiversity loss is often attributable to multiple interacting pressures that are moderated across environmental gradients. These processes contribute to complex responses that are challenging to interpret and understand. Well-designed and well-implemented monitoring can play a vital role in this but is rarely undertaken. Mounting evidence suggests that current fire regimes across savanna ecosystems have contributed to the decline of a range of biota. Hence, contemporary fire regimes are at odds with conservation goals. Using an extensive spatio-temporal monitoring dataset from three large National Parks in northern Australia, we applied generalised linear mixed models to examine: 1) trends in mammal richness and abundance through time and how these vary across environmental gradients such as productivity or landscape position (e.g., terrain ruggedness); and 2) how fire, a potential driver, is moderated by environmental gradients. Across 24-years, major declines in mammal richness and abundance were observed with greater reductions in less rugged and less mesic habitats. Patterns of decline were related to multiple aspects of fire regimes, but not changes in vegetation structure and composition, or the arrival of Cane Toads Rhinella marina and concomitant poisoning of predatory animals during consumption. More pronounced declines occurred in sites that were exposed to larger fires, had less long unburnt (5 years without fire) vegetation, and were more distant from large, long unburnt patches. Relationships between mammal persistence and fire varied among vegetation communities, with the strongest fire effects observed in lowland woodland – relatively drier with few barriers to fire spread – where the availability of long unburnt areas moderated declines more than in other vegetation communities. Synthesis and applications. Current fire regimes are contributing to mammal declines in northern Australian savanna. Collectively, our results highlight: 1) the value of long term monitoring, and importance of considering landscape position when assessing faunal responses to landscape-level perturbations like fire; 2) that significant improvements in fire regimes are required to ameliorate mammal declines; and 3) the need to shift management focus from retaining small, short-lived unburnt patches towards preserving relatively large contiguous areas of long unburnt habitat, particularly in less rugged lowland and sandstone woodlands.