Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
510
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
510 results for “Ungulates”
Data from: Space use and social association in a gregarious ungulate: testing the conspecific attraction and resource dispersion hypotheses
Animals use a variety of proximate cues to assess habitat quality when resources vary spatiotemporally. Two nonmutually exclusive strategies to assess habitat quality involve either direct assessment of landscape features or observation of social cues from conspecifics as a form of information transfer about forage resources. The conspecific attraction hypothesis proposes that individual space use is dependent on the distribution of conspecifics rather than the location of resource patches, whereas the resource dispersion hypothesis proposes that individual space use and social association are driven by the abundance and distribution of resources. We tested the conspecific attraction and the resource dispersion hypotheses as two nonmutually exclusive hypotheses explaining social association and of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus). We used location data from GPS collars to estimate interannual site fidelity and networks representing home range overlap and social associations among individual caribou. We found that home range overlap and social associations were correlated with resource distribution in summer and conspecific attraction in winter. In summer, when resources were distributed relatively homogeneously, interannual site fidelity was high and home range overlap and social associations were low. Conversely, in winter when resources were distributed relatively heterogeneously, interannual site fidelity was low and home range overlap and social associations were high. As access to resources changes across seasons, caribou appear to alter social behavior and space use. In summer, caribou may use cues associated with the distribution of forage, and in winter caribou may use cues from conspecifics to access forage. Our results have broad implications for our understanding of caribou socioecology, suggesting that caribou use season‐specific strategies to locate forage. Caribou populations continue to decline globally, and our finding that conspecific attraction is likely related to access to forage suggests that further fragmentation of caribou habitat could limit social association among caribou, particularly in winter when access to resources may be limited.
Data from: Evidence for nonconsumptive effects from a large predator in an ungulate prey?
Pedators can indirectly affect prey survival and reproduction by evoking costly anti-predator responses. Such non-consumptive effects may be as strong or stronger than consumptive predator effects. However, evidence for this in large terrestrial vertebrate systems is equivocal and few studies quantify the actual fitness costs of non-consumptive effects. Here we investigated whether non-consumptive effects elicited by Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), a large terrestrial predator, reduced survival in an ungulate prey, the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). To reveal the behavioral processes underlying non-consumptive effects, we distinguished between proactive risk avoidance of areas with high lynx encounter probability, and reactive risk avoidance in response to actual lynx encounters and analyzed these responses using step selection functions. We also quantified the consequences of these behaviors for deer survival. Deer reacted differently at day and at night, but avoided high-risk areas proactively during the day and at night in the summer. During a predator encounter, deer increased avoidance of high-risk areas at night but not during the day. Thus, roe deer exhibited a behavioral response race that involved temporally and spatially varying tradeoffs with environmental constraints. We found evidence that non-consumptive effects of lynx predation risk reduced deer survival and that survival was more sensitive to variation in non-consumptive effects of lynx than to variation in human proximity. Our findings highlight that non-consumptive effects may depend on the spatiotemporal distribution of risks and the environmental context, and we discuss how human factors contribute to predator-prey dynamics in human dominated landscapes.
Data from: A migratory northern ungulate in the pursuit of spring: jumping or surfing the green wave?
The Forage Maturation Hypothesis (FMH) states that herbivores migrate along a phenological gradient of plant development in order to maximize energy intake. Despite strong support for the FMH, the actual relationship between plant phenology and ungulate movement has remained enigmatic. We linked plant phenology (MODIS-NDVI) and space use of 167 migratory and 78 resident red deer (Cervus elaphus) using a space-time-time matrix of "springness", defined as the instantaneous rate of green-up (IRG). Consistent with the FMH, migrants experienced substantially greater access to early plant phenology than residents. Deer were also more likely to migrate in areas where migration led to greater gains in springness. Rather than "surfing the green wave" during migration, migratory red deer moved rapidly from the winter to the summer range, thereby "jumping the green wave". However, migrants, and to a lesser degree residents, did track phenological green-up through parts of the growing season by making smaller-scale adjustments in habitat use. We conclude that, whereas in some systems migration itself is a way to surf the green wave, in others it may simply be a means to re-connect with phenological spring at the summer range.
Data from: Do wild ungulates experience higher stress with humans than with large carnivores?
Predation is a major selective pressure for prey; however, the stress response to predation risk and the relative importance of natural versus anthropogenic stress factors in wild populations of animals have rarely been studied. We investigated the level of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) in 6 populations of red deer and roe deer exposed to potentially different levels of stress, resulting from both natural (predator presence, forest cover, undergrowth, ungulate density, and temperature) and anthropogenic (hunting harvest, percentage of build-up areas, and road density) factors. We found the highest and most variable FGM concentrations in both ungulates in areas without large carnivores, and the lowest and least variable FGM levels in areas with wolf and lynx. Anthropogenic factors (hunting harvest, roads, and built-up area) positively correlated with the gradient of FGM levels in both species. Both the mean and the variance of the FGM concentrations measured within populations of both red deer and roe deer were affected positively by variation in hunting harvest and negatively by the minimum temperature. The variance in the roe deer FGM was also positively influenced by the percentage of built-up areas. The results indicate that stress in wild ungulate populations is lower and less variable in areas utilized by large carnivores than in carnivore-free areas where human-related factors predominate. This may be explained by evolutionary adaptations of prey animals constantly exposed to the risk of natural predation and their inability of adapting to the risk from humans probably due to its high intensity and erratic occurrence.
Data from: Linking habitat composition, local population densities and traffic characteristics to spatial patterns of ungulate-train collisions
1. Total length of railways worldwide exceeds 1 million kilometres and recent railway development directly impacts wildlife because of animal-train collisions. Few studies, however, have analysed factors driving ungulate-train collisions. 2. We analysed over 3500 ungulate-train collisions including roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and moose collected in 2012-2015 in Poland. We compared train traffic characteristics (e.g. traffic intensity, speed, rail curvature), land-use and habitat characteristics (e.g. share of forests and build-up areas) and local ungulate population densities at collision sites and random sites distributed along the rail network. 3. Forest coverage generally increased, while urban areas decreased ungulate collision risk. Local density of ungulate species was strongly positively related to the relative collision risk in all four ungulate species, but above certain densities, the risk levelled off for all four species. 4. Train speed and train traffic intensity were positively associated with elevated collision risk in all four species, but the latter in a non-linear manner reached an asymptote at the level of ca. 10 trains per day. Rail curvature also increased probability of collisions with roe deer and red deer and possibly also wild boar. 5. Mortality rate of ungulates on railways in Poland is estimated to be 0.13-0.42% of annual hunting bags of studied species assuming that only one individual is killed at each occasion and ignoring undetected collisions. These values are expected to increase in near future due to increasing train speed in Central European countries. 6. Synthesis and applications. Ungulate-train collisions spots are characterised by surrounding forest, rail curvature, high train speed, and a moderate to high train traffic intensity. To reduce collision risk in a cost-effective way, we suggest to prioritise mitigation actions at sections of the railway characterized by those factors, e.g. by fencing and various warning devices. Due to nonlinear correlation between collision risk and population density, reducing density of ungulates will most likely reduce collision risk only marginally, and only in regions of low population densities where collision risk is relatively low anyway.
Data from: Space, time, and captivity: quantifying the factors influencing the fecal microbiome of an alpine ungulate
The community of microorganisms in the gut is affected by host species, diet and environment and is linked to normal functioning of the host organism. Although the microbiome fluctuates in response to host demands and environmental changes, there are core groups of microorganisms that remain relatively constant throughout the hosts lifetime. Ruminants are mammals that rely on highly specialized digestive and metabolic modifications, including microbiome adaptations, to persist in extreme environments. Here, we assayed the fecal microbiome of four mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) populations in western North America. We quantified fecal microbiome diversity and composition among groups in the wild and captivity, across populations and in a single group over time. There were no differences in community evenness or diversity across groups, although we observed a decreasing diversity trend across summer months. Pairwise sample estimates grouped the captive population distinctly from the wild populations, and moderately grouped the southern wild group distinctly from the two northern wild populations. We identified 33 genera modified by captivity, with major differences in key groups associated with cellulose degradation that likely reflect differences in diet. Our findings are consistent with other ruminant studies and provide baseline microbiome data in this enigmatic species, offering valuable insights into the health of wild alpine ungulates.
Individual variation creates diverse migratory portfolios in native populations of a mountain ungulate
<p>Ecological theory and empirical studies have demonstrated population-level demographic benefits resulting from a diversity of migratory behaviors with important implications for ecology, conservation, and evolution of migratory organisms. <a name="_Hlk29072366">Nevertheless, evaluation of migratory portfolios </a><a name="_Hlk29072297">(i.e., the variation in migratory behaviors across space and time among individuals within populations) </a>has received relatively little attention in migratory ungulates, where research has focused largely on the dichotomous behaviors (e.g., resident and migrant) of partially migratory populations. Using GPS data from 362 female bighorn sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis</i>) across 17 (restored = 4, augmented = 6, native = 7) populations in Montana and Wyoming, USA, we: 1) characterized migratory portfolios based on behavioral and spatial migratory characteristics, and 2) evaluated the relative influence of landscape attributes and management histories on migratory diversity. Native populations, which had been extant on the landscape for many generations, had more diverse migratory portfolios, higher behavioral switching rates, reduced seasonal range fidelity, and broad dispersion of individuals across summer and winter ranges. In contrast, restored populations with an abbreviated history on the landscape were largely non-migratory with a narrow portfolio of migratory behaviors, less behavioral switching, higher fidelity to seasonal ranges, and less dispersion on summer and winter ranges. Augmented populations were more variable and contained characteristics of both native and restored populations. Differences in migratory diversity among populations were associated with management histories (e.g., restored, augmented, or native). Landscape characteristics such as the duration and regularity of green-up, human landscape alterations, topography, and snow gradients were not strongly associated with migratory diversity. We suggest a two-pronged approach to restoring migratory portfolios in ungulates that first develops behavior-specific habitat models and then places individuals with known migratory behaviors into unoccupied areas in an effort to bolster migratory portfolios in restored populations, potentially with synergistic benefits associated with variation among individuals and resulting portfolio effects. Management efforts to restore diverse migratory portfolios may increase the abundance, resilience, and long-term viability of ungulate populations.</p>
Data from: Seed dispersal by ungulates as an ecological filter: a trait-based meta-analysis
Plant communities are often dispersal-limited and zoochory can be an efficient mechanism for plants to colonize new patches of potentially suitable habitat. We predicted that seed dispersal by ungulates acts as an ecological filter – which differentially affects individuals according to their characteristics and shapes species assemblages – and that the filter varies according to the dispersal mechanism (endozoochory, fur-epizoochory and hoof-epizoochory). We conducted two-step individual participant data meta-analyses of 52 studies on plant dispersal by ungulates in fragmented landscapes, comparing eight plant traits and two habitat indicators between dispersed and non-dispersed plants. We found that ungulates dispersed at least 44% of the available plant species. Moreover, some plant traits and habitat indicators increased the likelihood for plant of being dispersed. Persistent or nitrophilous plant species from open habitats or bearing dry or elongated diaspores were more likely to be dispersed by ungulates, whatever the dispersal mechanism. In addition, endozoochory was more likely for diaspores bearing elongated appendages whereas epizoochory was more likely for diaspores released relatively high in vegetation. Hoof-epizoochory was more likely for light diaspores without hooked appendages. Fur-epizoochory was more likely for diaspores with appendages, particularly elongated or hooked ones. We thus observed a gradient of filtering effect among the three dispersal mechanisms. Endozoochory had an effect of rather weak intensity (impacting six plant characteristics with variations between ungulate-dispersed and non-dispersed plant species mostly below 25%), whereas hoof-epizoochory had a stronger effect (eight characteristics included five ones with above 75% variation), and fur-epizoochory an even stronger one (nine characteristics included six ones with above 75% variation). Our results demonstrate that seed dispersal by ungulates is an ecological filter whose intensity varies according to the dispersal mechanism considered. Ungulates can thus play a key role in plant community dynamics and have implications for plant spatial distribution patterns at multiple scales.
Data from: Hunting-mediated predator facilitation and superadditive mortality in a European ungulate
Predator-prey theory predicts that in the presence of multiple types of predators using a common prey, predator facilitation may result as a consequence of contrasting prey defense mechanisms, where reducing the risk from one predator increases the risk from the other. While predator facilitation is well established in natural predator-prey systems, little attention has been paid to situations where human hunters compete with natural predators for the same prey. Here, we investigate hunting-mediated predator facilitation in a hunter-predator-prey system. We found that hunter avoidance by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) exposed them to increase predation risk by Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Lynx responded by increasing their activity and predation on deer, providing evidence that superadditive hunting mortality may be occurring through predator facilitation. Our results reveal a new pathway through which human hunters, in their role as top predators, may affect species interactions at lower trophic levels and thus drive ecosystem processes.
Data_PlosOne_Too many is too bad: Long-term net negative effects of high density ungulate populations on a dominant Mediterranean shrub
<p>Dataset for Plos One Publication (2016): Too many is too bad: Long-term net negative effects of high density ungulate populations on a dominant Mediterranean shrub</p>
Data, Metadata, R-codes and R data files for publication "Comparative ungulate diversity and biomass change with human use and drought: implications for community stability and protected area prioritization in African savannas" by Bartzke et al. in Ecology and Evolution
<p>These files contain data and metadata for modeling ungulate diversity and biomass in the Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya in the drought year of 1999 and a year with normal rainfall, 2002. The files also contain R codes and R data files.</p> <p>Metadata.pdf: Metadata for files "mc_333m.csv" and "mc_1km.csv"</p> <p>mc_333m.csv: A data file for 333-meter-by-333-meter sub-blocks.</p> <p>prepare_data.r: R code to impute missing vegetation records in 333-meter-by-333-meter subblocks and summarize the data over 1-kilometer-by-1-kilometer blocks for analysis.</p> <p>krige_vegetation.RData: An R data file containing the imputed vegetation records.</p> <p>mc_1km.csv: A data file for 1-kilometer-by-1-kilometer blocks for analysis.</p> <p>mc_1km.r: R code for modeling ungulate diversity and biomass; mc_1km_mod.RData: An R data file for loading the ungulate diversity and biomass models.</p> <p>mc_1km.RData: An R data file containing model predictions of ungulate diversity and biomass.</p> <p>mc_1km_plots.r: R code for plotting model predictions of ungulate diversity and biomass.</p> <p>MMNR_boundary.shp: A shapefile of the Maasai Mara National Reserve boundary in Kenya and associated files. These files are used for plotting the predictions of ungulate diversity and biomass.</p> <p>MMNR_border.zip: A shapefile and associated files for the Maasai Mara National Reserve border with Tanzania. These files are also used for plotting predictions of ungulate diversity and biomass.</p>
Data from "Elevation affects both the occurrence of ungulate browsing and its effect on tree seedling growth for four major tree species in European mountain forests"
<p>This repository contains the field data used in the paper from Bernard et al. on the interactive effect of elevation and ungulate browsing on tree regeneration. This dataset is associated with a github repository containing the code to run the analyses of the paper, publicly available at https://github.com/jbarrere3/BaccaraPaper</p>
It's time to go - Drivers and plasticity of migration phenology in a short-distance migratory ungulate
<p>Files provided in the repository consist of two dataframes (.Rdata format) and two scripts (.R format) to perform analyses and making figures presented in the paper: "Drivers and plasticity of migration phenology in a short-distance migratory ungulate, the Alpine ibex Capra ibex" </p> <p>Abstract: </p> <p><span>Recurring events like migrations are an important part of the biological cycles of species. Understanding the factors influencing the timing of such events is crucial for determining how species face the pervasive consequences of climate change in highly seasonal environments. Relying on data from 406 GPS-collared Alpine ibex </span><span>Capra ibex</span><span> monitored across 17 populations, we investigated the environmental and individual drivers of short-distance migration in this emblematic mountain ungulate. Notably, we assessed how variations in the onset of spring and autumn affected the timing of migration and the extent to which ibex exhibited behavioral plasticity in their response. We found that vegetation phenology, including spring growth and autumn senescence, along with snow dynamics - snowmelt in spring, first snowfall in autumn - were the main drivers of the timing of migration.</span></p> <p><span>In spring, ibex migration timing was synchronized with the peak of vegetation growth, but more in males than in females. Specifically, a shift of 10 days in vegetation growth peak delayed migration by 6.4 days for males and 2.7 days for females. This led to increased differences in migration timing between sexes when the vegetation growth peak occurred early or late in the season. In addition, ibex delayed migration timing when the length of growing season was longer and when the date of snowmelt on ibex summer range occurred later. Similarly, in autumn, prolonged vegetation senescence and delayed first snowfall led to later migration.</span></p> <p><span>Overall, most of the response to inter-annual variations in vegetation and snow phenology could be explained by individual behavioral plasticity. Nonetheless, females appear to be less plastic than males in their timing of spring migration, likely due to the parturition period following migration forcing them to trade off foraging needs with predation risk. As the identified drivers of ibex migration are known to be and will continue to be largely impacted by climate change, the capacity of ibex to respond to such rapid changes could differ between sexes. </span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Fawn bedsite selection by a large ungulate living in a peri-urban area
<p>The zip file contains:</p> <ul> <li>All datasets used for the data analysis of the updated version of the preprint titled: "Fawn bedsite selection by a large ungulate living in a peri-urban area" that can be found at: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.11.552922.</li> <li>The R markdown showing the analysis used for this study.</li> <li>The HDML file of the R markdown above.</li> </ul>
FIGURE 77 in Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (China: Xinjiang): checklist and description of four new species
FIGURE 77. Bar chart giving the number of species of Sarcophagidae in different provinces/area (Kalamaili) of China.
FIGURE 73 in Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (China: Xinjiang): checklist and description of four new species
FIGURE 73. Sarcophaga (Liopygia) crassipalpis Macquart, 1839, female, 25.IV.2015, MZ & CW leg. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, anterior view. D. Head, anterolateral view. E. Right wing, dorsal view. F. Abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars: A = 3.0 mm, B–D = 1.0 mm, E, F = 2.0 mm.
FIGURE 70 in Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (China: Xinjiang): checklist and description of four new species
FIGURE 70. Sarcophaga (Helicophagella) melanura Meigen, 1826, Xinjiang, Altay, Kalamaili, 18.V.2014, MZ leg., scanning electron micrographs of male terminalia. A. Gonites and phallus, lateral view. B. Distiphallus, lateral view. C. Postgonite, lateral view. D. Lateral stylus, vesica, ventral view. E. median stylus, lateral stylus and juxta, ventral view. F. Phallus, dorsal view. Abbreviations: dp = distiphallus; j = juxta; ls = lateral stylus; ms = median stylus; pogt = postgonite; prgt = pregonite; ve = vesica. Scale bars: A = 250 μm, B = 100 μm, C, D = 50 μm.
FIGURE 71 in Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (China: Xinjiang): checklist and description of four new species
FIGURE 71. Sarcophaga (Liopygia) crassipalpis Macquart, 1839, male, Xinjiang, Altay, Kalamaili, 24.IV.2015, MZ & CW leg. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, anterior view. D. Head, anterolateral view. E. Right wing, dorsal view. F. Abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars: A = 3.0 mm, B–D = 1.0 mm, E, F = 2.0 mm.
FIGURE 68 in Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (China: Xinjiang): checklist and description of four new species
FIGURE 68. Sarcophaga (Helicophagella) dreyfusi (Lehrer, 1994), male, Xinjiang, Altay, Kalamaili, 26.IV.2015, MZ & CW leg., terminalia and sternite 5. A. Sternite 5. B. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli, posterior view. C. Hypandrial complex and phallus, lateral view. D. Hypandrial complex and phallus, posterior view. Abbreviations: cerc = cercus; dp = distiphallus; ej apod = ejaculatory apodeme; epand = epandrium; hypd apod = hypandrial apodeme; phapod = phallapodeme; pogt = postgonite; prgt = pregonite; sur = surstylus; ve = vesica. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.
FIGURE 69 in Flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (China: Xinjiang): checklist and description of four new species
FIGURE 69. Sarcophaga (Helicophagella) melanura Meigen, 1826, male, Xinjiang, Altay, Kalamaili, 15.V.2014, MZ leg. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, anterior view. D. Head, anterolateral view. E. Right wing, dorsal view. F. Abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars: A, E, F = 2.0 mm, B–D = 1.0 mm.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.