Personality traits, sex and food abundance shape space use in an arboreal mammal

AbstractAnimal space use is affected by spatio-temporal variation in food availability and/or population density and varies among individuals. This inter-individual variation in spacing behaviour can be further influenced by sex, body condition, social dominance, and by the animal’s personality. We used capture-mark-recapture and radio-tracking to examine the relationship between space use and personality in Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in three conifer forests in the Italian Alps. We further explored to what extent this was influenced by changes in food abundance and/or population density. Measures of an individual’s trappability and trap diversity had high repeatability and were used in a Principal Component Analysis to obtain a single personality score representing a boldness-exploration tendency. Males increased home-range size with low food abundance and low female density, independent of their personality. However, bolder males used larger core-areas that overlapped less with other males than shy ones, suggesting different resource (food, partners) utilization strategies among personality types. For females, space use-personality relationships varied with food abundance, and bolder females used larger home ranges than shy ones at low female density, but the trend was opposite at high female density. Females’ intrasexual core-area overlap was negatively related to body mass, with no effect of personality. We conclude that relationships between personality traits and space use in free-ranging squirrels varied with sex, and were further influenced by spatio-temporal fluctuations in food availability. Moreover, different personality types (bold-explorative vs. shy) seemed to adopt different space-use strategies to increase access to food and/or partners.

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Annual movement strategy predicts within-season space use by moose

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ◽

10.1007/s00265-021-03059-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (8) ◽

Author(s):

Tomasz Borowik ◽

Rafał Kowalczyk ◽

Weronika Maślanko ◽

Norbert Duda ◽

Mirosław Ratkiewicz

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Animal Movements ◽

Movement Strategy ◽

The Mean ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Annual Scale

Abstract The heterogeneity of resource availability shapes animal movements at different spatio-temporal scales. Given that movements at various scales are assumed to be linked, the space use of temperate ungulates within seasonal ranges (winter, summer) should be related to their movement patterns at the annual scale. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the level of stationarity of moose (Alces alces) within their seasonal ranges and to link annual movement patterns to within-season space use. We analysed the ranging behaviour of 32 moose fitted with GPS collars from two study areas in Eastern Poland, where at the annual scale a fraction of individuals migrate between summer and winter ranges (partial migration). Our results revealed that moose stationarity within seasonal home ranges expressed remarkable variation. The probability of moose stationarity within seasonal ranges was significantly higher (by 23%), and the mean home range size tended to be lower (9.7 km2) among individuals that seasonally migrated than among non-migratory moose (14.3 km2). In addition, we found that (i) in summer, moose were significantly more stationary (by 19%) and exhibited a smaller mean home range size than in winter (9.0 and 15.9 km2, respectively) and (ii) the mean seasonal home range size of males (19.6 km2) was remarkably greater than that of females (9.6 km2). Given the significant link between annual and seasonal scales of animal movements, any environmental change (e.g. climate warming) affecting an animal’s annual movement strategy could alter within-season animal space use and presumably individual fitness. Significance statement To maximize their fitness, animals adjust their movements to deal with variations in resource distribution in the landscape. The scale of spatio-temporal variation causes different types of migratory behaviours, ranging from year-round stationarity to migration, when individuals establish spatially separated seasonal ranges. Studies on ungulates suggest that the stability and the size of seasonal home ranges can be linked to annual movement behaviour. Using the locations of GPS-tracked moose, we demonstrate in this study that migratory individuals were more prone to establishing stable seasonal home ranges (especially in summer) than moose that occupied the same area throughout the year. Moreover, stable seasonal home ranges were remarkably smaller in summer than in winter, which may suggest a season-specific spatial distribution and a renewability of moose forage. Our results show a clear link between different temporal scales of animal movements.

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Variable tropical moisture and food availability underlie mixed winter space-use strategies in a migratory songbird

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2021.1220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 288 (1955) ◽

pp. 20211220

Author(s):

Calandra Q. Stanley ◽

Michele R. Dudash ◽

Thomas B. Ryder ◽

W. Gregory Shriver ◽

Peter P. Marra

Keyword(s):

Population Dynamics ◽

Food Availability ◽

Space Use ◽

Food Abundance ◽

Gps Tracking ◽

Future Research ◽

Wood Thrush ◽

Mobile Species ◽

Alternative Habitat ◽

Wintering Range

Identifying environmental correlates driving space-use strategies can be critical for predicting population dynamics; however, such information can be difficult to attain for small mobile species such as migratory songbirds. We combined radio-telemetry and high-resolution GPS tracking to examine space-use strategies under different moisture gradients for wood thrush ( Hylocichla mustelina ). We explored the role moisture plays in driving food abundance and, in turn, space-use strategies at a wintering site in Belize across 3 years. Individuals occupying drier habitats experienced lower food abundance and poorer body condition. Using data from our radio-tracked study population and GPS tracking from across five breeding populations, we detected low rates of overwinter site persistence across the wood thrush wintering range. Contrary to expectations, individuals in wetter habitats were more likely to engage in permanent mid-winter relocations, up to 148 km. We suggest facultative movements are instead a condition-dependent strategy that enables wintering wood thrush to locate alternative habitat as food availability declines throughout the dry season. Increased aridity is predicted across the wintering range of wood thrush, and future research should delve deeper into understanding how moisture impacts within and between season space-use dynamics and its ultimate impact on the population dynamics of this declining species.

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Space use of moose in relation to food availability

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z05-140 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 83 (11) ◽

pp. 1431-1437 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Christian Dussault ◽

Réhaume Courtois ◽

Jean-Pierre Ouellet ◽

Irène Girard

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Food Availability ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Small Scale ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Movement Rates ◽

Habitat Productivity ◽

Time Periods

We assessed the influence of temporal and spatial changes in food availability on home-range size and movements of moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)). Ten adult moose were radio-collared and monitored with GPS telemetry collars during two contrasting time periods based on food quality and availability: summer (growing period) and winter (dormant and snowy period). According to the habitat productivity – home-range size hypothesis, we expected home-range size and movement rate to be negatively correlated with the proportion of food-rich habitat types in home ranges. Food availability influenced space use, but the effect was more pronounced at the small scale (i.e., movement rates) than at the large scale (i.e., home-range sizes) and during winter than summer. The negative relationship between food availability and home-range size only existed in winter, but movement rates were lower in food-rich habitat types in both time periods. Our results suggested that body size was not the primary factor governing sex-related differences in space use which were likely more related to specific needs of females with regard to the feeding and protection of calves. We suggest that the habitat productivity – home-range size hypothesis may not always be supported when forage is widely distributed and that movement rates can be a better index of forage availability than home-range sizes in such situations.

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Do all, or only some personality types engage in spreading negative WOM? An experimental study of negative WOM, big 5 personality traits and brand personality

Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science ◽

10.1080/21639159.2020.1808837 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Vanitha Swaminathan ◽

Umut Kubat Dokumaci

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Brand Personality ◽

Personality Types ◽

Big 5 ◽

Big 5 Personality

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Home range size, space use and resource selection of griffon vultures in an insular environment

Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1111/jzo.12868 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

S. M. Xirouchakis ◽

C. Grivas ◽

G. Andreou ◽

E. Georgopoulou

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Selection Of

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ACTIVITY AND SPACE USE BY DEGUS: A TRADE-OFF BETWEEN THERMAL CONDITIONS AND FOOD AVAILABILITY?

Journal of Mammalogy ◽

10.1644/1545-1542(2003)084<0311:aasubd>2.0.co;2 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 84 (1) ◽

pp. 311-318 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Leonardo D. Bacigalupe ◽

Enrico L. Rezende ◽

G. J. Kenagy ◽

Francisco Bozinovic

Keyword(s):

Food Availability ◽

Thermal Conditions ◽

Space Use ◽

Trade Off

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The COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Malaysia: Lessons Learned from the Perspective of Population Density

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126566 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6566

Author(s):

Siew Bee Aw ◽

Bor Tsong Teh ◽

Gabriel Hoh Teck Ling ◽

Pau Chung Leng ◽

Weng Howe Chan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

P Value ◽

Population Census ◽

Infection Rates ◽

Health Official ◽

Contagious Diseases ◽

Spatio Temporal

This paper attempts to ascertain the impacts of population density on the spread and severity of COVID-19 in Malaysia. Besides describing the spatio-temporal contagion risk of the virus, ultimately, it seeks to test the hypothesis that higher population density results in exacerbated COVID-19 virulence in the community. The population density of 143 districts in Malaysia, as per data from Malaysia’s 2010 population census, was plotted against cumulative COVID-19 cases and infection rates of COVID-19 cases, which were obtained from Malaysia’s Ministry of Health official website. The data of these three variables were collected between 19 January 2020 and 31 December 2020. Based on the observations, districts that have high population densities and are highly inter-connected with neighbouring districts, whether geographically, socio-economically, or infrastructurally, tend to experience spikes in COVID-19 cases within weeks of each other. Using a parametric approach of the Pearson correlation, population density was found to have a moderately strong relationship to cumulative COVID-19 cases (p-value of 0.000 and R2 of 0.415) and a weak relationship to COVID-19 infection rates (p-value of 0.005 and R2 of 0.047). Consequently, we provide several non-pharmaceutical lessons, including urban planning strategies, as passive containment measures that may better support disease interventions against future contagious diseases.

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Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics in Southern Europe: Toward a New Statistical Approach to Regional Science

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10082765 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 2765 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Mariateresa Ciommi ◽

Francesco Chelli ◽

Margherita Carlucci ◽

Luca Salvati

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Population Decline ◽

Land Use Patterns ◽

Urban Forms ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Demographic Dynamics ◽

Steep Decline ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Linear Regression Modeling

Metropolitan growth in Europe has resulted in drastic changes of urban forms, socio-spatial structures and land-use patterns due to sequential processes of urbanization, suburbanization and re-urbanization. To assess latent shifts from mono-centric models towards more disarticulated and decentralized settlement configurations, the present study evaluates spatio-temporal patterns of growth between the 1920s and the 2010s in three Mediterranean cities with different structure and functions (Barcelona: compact and moderately polycentric; Rome: dispersed, medium-density; Athens: mono-centric, hyper-compact). To identify and characterize long-term urban transformations, an original approach was illustrated in this study, based on a multivariate analysis of 13 indicators resulting from descriptive statistics and linear regression modeling the relationship between population density and distance from inner cities. The empirical results of this study indicate that Barcelona, Rome and Athens have experienced different urbanization cycles, characterized by a (more or less) concentrated distribution of population along urban gradients. Despite similarities in demographic dynamics and planning practices, these processes have determined (i) a mostly centralized growth in Barcelona, (ii) a relatively dispersed and discontinuous spatial structure in Rome, and (iii) a steep decline of population density with the distance from downtown Athens. Compact urban expansion, population decline and urban de-concentration were finally assessed using the analytical approach proposed in this study.

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