Shifts in macropod home ranges in response to wildlife management interventions

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha L. Wiggins ◽  
Grant J. Williamson ◽  
Hamish I. McCallum ◽  
Clive R. McMahon ◽  
David M. J. S. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Agricultural Habitat ◽  
The Individual

Context. Understanding how the individual movement patterns and dispersion of a population change following wildlife management interventions is crucial for effective population management. Aims. We quantified the impacts of two wildlife management strategies, a lethal intervention and a subsequent barrier intervention, on localised populations of the two most common macropod species in Tasmania, the Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) and the red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus). This manipulation allowed us to examine two competing hypotheses concerning the distribution of individuals in animal populations – the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) hypothesis and the Rose Petal (RP) hypothesis. We predicted that the RP would be supported if individuals maintained their previous home ranges following intervention, whereas the IFD would be supported if individuals redistributed following the management interventions. Methods. The movement patterns of T. billardierii and M. r. rufogriseus were tracked using GPS technology before and after the two management interventions. Key results. Following lethal intervention, pademelons and wallabies (1) maintained their home-range area, (2) increased their utilisation of agricultural habitat and (3) shifted their mean centroid locations compared with the pre-intervention period. Following barrier intervention, pademelons and wallabies (1) maintained their home-range area, (2) decreased their utilisation of agricultural habitat and (3) shifted their mean centroid locations compared with the pre-intervention period. Conclusions. On the basis of the individual responses of macropods to the management strategies (1) lethal intervention appeared to induce small shifts in home-range distributions of those remaining individuals in the population with home ranges overlapping the areas of lethal intervention and (2) barrier intervention is likely to induce whole-scale population movements of the animals that survive the lethal intervention in their search of an alternative food source. Both species displayed spatial and temporal shifts in their home-range distributions in response to lethal and barrier interventions that appear to conform broadly to predictions of IFD, at least in the timeframe of the present experiment. Implications. Wildlife management strategies, which are increasingly constrained by ethical, socio-political and financial considerations, should be based on ecological and behavioural data regarding the likely responses of the target population.

Movement patterns of feral predators in an arid environment – implications for control through poison baiting

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 422 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Moseby ◽  
J. Stott ◽  
H. Crisp
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Poison Baiting ◽  
Specific Variation

Control of introduced predators is critical to both protection and successful reintroduction of threatened prey species. Efficiency of control is improved if it takes into account habitat use, home range and the activity patterns of the predator. These characteristics were studied in feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in arid South Australia, and results are used to suggest improvements in control methods. In addition, mortality and movement patterns of cats before and after a poison-baiting event were compared. Thirteen cats and four foxes were successfully fitted with GPS data-logger radio-collars and tracked 4-hourly for several months. High intra-specific variation in cat home-range size was recorded, with 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges varying from 0.5 km2 to 132 km2. Cat home-range size was not significantly different from that of foxes, nor was there a significant difference related to sex or age. Cats preferred habitat types that support thicker vegetation cover, including creeklines and sand dunes, whereas foxes preferred sand dunes. Cats used temporary focal points (areas used intensively over short time periods and then vacated) for periods of up to 2 weeks and continually moved throughout their home range. Aerial baiting at a density of 10 baits per km2 was ineffective for cats because similar high mortality rates were recorded for cats in both baited and unbaited areas. Mortality was highest in young male cats. Long-range movements of up to 45 km in 2 days were recorded in male feral cats and movement into the baited zone occurred within 2 days of baiting. Movement patterns of radio-collared animals and inferred bait detection distances were used to suggest optimum baiting densities of ~30 baits per km2 for feral cats and 5 per km2 for foxes. Feral cats exhibited much higher intra-specific variation in activity patterns and home-range size than did foxes, rendering them a potentially difficult species to control by a single method. Control of cats and foxes in arid Australia should target habitats with thick vegetation cover and aerial baiting should ideally occur over areas of several thousand square kilometres because of large home ranges and long-range movements increasing the chance of fast reinvasion. The use of temporary focal points suggested that it may take several days or even weeks for a cat to encounter a fixed trap site within their home range, whereas foxes should encounter them more quickly as they move further each day although they have a similar home-range size. Because of high intra-specific variability in activity patterns and home-range size, control of feral cats in inland Australia may be best achieved through a combination of control techniques.

Spatial ecology of the Mariana Crow Corvus kubaryi: Implications for management strategies

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARAH K. FAEGRE ◽  
LINDSEY NIETMANN ◽  
DYLAN HUBL ◽  
JAMES C. HA ◽  
RENEE R. HA
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Spatial Behaviour ◽  
Island Endemic ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Over Time

SummaryKnowledge of species-specific spatial ecology is critical for applying appropriate management strategies to maximise conservation outcomes. We used radio-telemetry to describe spatial behaviour of the critically endangered, island-endemic Mariana Crow Corvus kubaryi. To determine whether management strategies should reflect life stage, we measured the home ranges and daily movements of 22 Mariana Crows. Fledgling mobility was low during the first 31 days post-fledging and effects of age (fledgling or sub-adult) and time (months post-fledging or post-dispersal) were often driven entirely by this period. After controlling for reduced fledgling mobility, cumulative home range size increased over time for both age classes and was, on average, more than twice the area for sub-adults than fledglings. Sub-adults also tended to make longer daily movements than fledglings. Non-cumulative, monthly home range areas did not increase over time but the average overlap in home range area between consecutive months was only 63%, suggesting large shifts in space use each month. These results highlight the dynamic nature of Mariana Crow home ranges and suggest that large-scale management efforts are critical for protecting both breeding and non-breeding individuals. The application of the traditional home range concept to Mariana Crows and other wide-ranging passerine birds may result in sub-optimal management strategies. Instead, we recommend that the spatial and temporal scale of conservation efforts be informed by species-specific spatial behaviour across all relevant life stages.

Home range and movements of postfledging American black ducks in eastern Maine

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 1288-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Frazer ◽  
Jerry R. Longcore ◽  
Daniel G. McAuley
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
National Wildlife Refuge ◽  
Riverine Wetlands ◽  
Wildlife Refuge ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Riverine Habitat ◽  
American Black

We monitored the movements of 97 female and 15 male juvenile American black ducks (Anas rubripes) in the vicinity of Moosehom National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Maine and southwestern New Brunswick from September through mid-December, 1985–1987. Movements were described by estimating home ranges and radial movements from the primary roost marsh. Overall home range sizes averaged 4987 ha (range 54 – 28 070 ha), and maximum distances moved from the roost averaged 9.9 km (range 0.9–42.8 km). Home ranges were linear (linearity index 2.8), and home range area and distance of movements from the roost both increased monthly. Ducks that used >15% riverine habitat had larger home ranges and moved greater distances from the roost than ducks using <15% riverine wetlands. Movements did not differ between ducks usually alone and those usually in flocks. Juvenile black ducks moved in small flocks and were often alone (34% of 355 observations). Most ducks showed fidelity to one roost-marsh complex from September until migration in late November. Daily and seasonal movement patterns were similar to those predicted for refuging systems.

scholarly journals Home Range Characteristics and Diel Patterns in Space Use of Mutton Snapper, Lutjanus Analis, in St. Thomas, Us Virgin Islands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Heidmann ◽  
Jonathan Jossart ◽  
Richard S. Nemeth
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Us Virgin Islands ◽  
Diel Patterns ◽  
Management Actions

Abstract Background: The movement ecology of mutton snapper Lutjanus analis is poorly understood despite their ecological and economic importance in the Caribbean. Passive acoustic telemetry was used to determine home ranges of six adult L. analis, including diel patterns, in Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Understanding long-term space use, including site fidelity and habitat usage, is necessary to implement effective and appropriate management actions for a species with extensive space and resource needs.Results: Individual L. analis were tracked over an average period of 316 days (range 125 - 509 days) and showed high site fidelity to relatively small home ranges (mean ± SD: 0.103 ± 0.028 km2, range 0.019 - 0.190 km2) and core use areas with low overlap among individuals. Most home ranges had a habitat composition dominated by seagrass and to a lesser degree, coral reef and/or pavement. Nighttime activity spaces were distinct from but contained within daytime areas.Conclusions: Mutton snapper showed strong site fidelity to home ranges in Brewers Bay. Two individuals that were absent from the array for more than a few hours were detected at separate arrays at spawning aggregation sites. This study expands upon knowledge of mutton snapper home range characteristics, highlights the importance of maintaining adjacent high-quality habitat types in any spatial management plan, and encourages the adoption of other types of management strategies, particularly for transient-aggregating species.

scholarly journals Socioecology Explains Individual Variation in Urban Space Use in Response to Management in Cape Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Bracken ◽  
Charlotte Christensen ◽  
M. Justin O’Riain ◽  
Gaëlle Fehlmann ◽  
Mark D. Holton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Aversive Conditioning ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Papio Ursinus ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Chacma Baboons

AbstractThe presence of wildlife adjacent to and within urban spaces is a growing phenomenon globally. When wildlife’s presence in urban spaces has negative impacts for people and wildlife, nonlethal and lethal interventions on animals invariably result. Recent evidence suggests that individuals in wild animal populations vary in both their propensity to use urban space and their response to nonlethal management methods. Understanding such interindividual differences and the drivers of urban space use could help inform management strategies. We use direct observation and high-resolution GPS (1 Hz) to track the space use of 13 adult individuals in a group of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) living at the urban edge in Cape Town, South Africa. The group is managed by a dedicated team of field rangers, who use aversive conditioning to reduce the time spent by the group in urban spaces. Adult males are larger, more assertive, and more inclined to enter houses, and as such are disproportionately subject to “last resort” lethal management. Field rangers therefore focus efforts on curbing the movements of adult males, which, together with high-ranking females and their offspring, comprise the bulk of the group. However, our results reveal that this focus allows low-ranking, socially peripheral female baboons greater access to urban spaces. We suggest that movement of these females into urban spaces, alone or in small groups, is an adaptive response to management interventions, especially given that they have no natural predators. These results highlight the importance of conducting behavioral studies in conjunction with wildlife management, to ensure effective mitigation techniques.

scholarly journals Ain’t Nothing like Family—Female Brown Bears Share Their Home Range with Relatives

Diversity ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Astrid Olejarz ◽  
Jouni Aspi ◽  
Ilpo Kojola ◽  
Vesa Nivala ◽  
Alina K. Niskanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Home Range Overlap ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Centroid Distance ◽  
Range Overlap ◽  
Eastern Finland

Sociality in animal populations is a continuum, and interactions between conspecifics are meaningful for all vertebrates. Ignorance of social structures can lead to misunderstanding their ecology and, consequently, to unsuccessful species management. Here, we combined genetic and spatial data on radio-collared brown bears (Ursus arctos) to investigate kin-related home range overlap and kin-related centroid distance within central and eastern Finland. We found that the extent of home range overlap was positively correlated with relatedness among adult females. In addition, home range centroid distance decreased as relatedness increased. Moreover, there were significant differences between the two studied regions: female brown bears in central Finland were more closely related to each other, and the sizes of their home ranges were larger than those in eastern Finland. The smaller home ranges and lower degree of relatedness among bears in eastern Finland might be a result of the substantially higher hunting pressure in the area, combined with immigration of new unrelated individuals from Russia.

scholarly journals Movement and Home Range of Nile Crocodiles in Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Calverley ◽  
Colleen T. Downs
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Game Reserve ◽  
Nile Crocodile

The study of movement patterns and home range is fundamental in understanding the spatial requirements of animals and is important in generating information for the conservation and management of threatened species. Ndumo Game Reserve, in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, bordering Mozambique, has the third largest Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population in South Africa. Movement patterns of 50 Nile crocodiles with a total length of between 202 cm and 472 cm were followed over a period of 18 months, using mark-resight, radio and satellite telemetry. The duration of radio transmitter attachment (131 ± 11.4 days) was significantly and negatively related to total length and reproductive status. Satellite transmitters failed after an average of 15 ± 12.5 days. Home range was calculated for individuals with 10 or more radio locations, spanning a period of at least 6 months. There was a significant relationship between home range size and total length, with sub-adults (1.5 m – 2.5 m) occupying smaller, more localised home ranges than adults (> 2.5 m). The largest home ranges were for adults (> 2.5 m). Home ranges overlapped extensively, suggesting that territoriality, if present, does not result in spatially discrete home ranges of Nile crocodiles in Ndumo Game Reserve during the dry season. Larger crocodiles moved farther and more frequently than smaller crocodiles. The reserve acts as a winter refuge and spring breeding site for an estimated 846 crocodiles, which also inhabit the Rio Maputo during the summer months. Nile crocodile movement out of the reserve and into the Rio Maputo starts in November and crocodiles return to the reserve as water levels in the floodplain recede in May.Conservation implications: Movement patterns of Nile crocodiles show the important role the reserve plays in the conservation of Nile crocodile populations within the greater Ndumo Game Reserve–Rio Maputo area.

Social Structure and Patterns of Movement of the Western Pebble-mound Mouse, Pseudomys chapmani, at Marandoo, Western Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Anstee ◽  
J. D. Roberts ◽  
J. E. O'Shea
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Ore Deposits ◽  
Core Area ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Economic Significance ◽  
Iron Ore Deposits ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Mounds of the western pebble-mound mouse, Pseudomys chapmani, are found throughout the species’ Pilbara range in areas with iron-ore deposits of economic significance. Translocation techniques are being examined as a means of minimising the impact of mining on this species. In the absence of detailed information on the biology of Pseudomys chapmani, translocation is inadvisable. To provide such basic information, animal densities, mound demographics and population sizes, and home-range and core-area sizes were obtained by a combination of trapping and radio-tracking. Mounds of Pseudomys chapmani were found to be inhabited by social groups of up to 12 animals. Estimates of home-range size gave mean ( s.e.) values of 14·4 6·7 ha and 4·6 2·7 ha for males and females, respectively; core areas were recorded at 0·93 0·29 ha for males and 0·29 0·16 ha for females. Considerable overlap of home ranges was recorded between individuals from the same and different mounds. Overlap at the core-area level occurred only between individuals from the same mound. The high level of social complexity and mound fidelity indicates that translocations should be directed at the level of the social group rather than at the level of the individual.

Home ranges and movements of red foxes in central Europe: stability despite environmental changes

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1960-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Steve Meia ◽  
Jean-Marc Weber
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Territory Size ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
The Individual

Thirteen red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were radio-tracked between September 1989 and August 1993 in the Swiss Jura mountains. Home ranges of subadult and adult resident foxes did not differ and were small (seasonal estimates 0.48–3.06 km2). A nomadic adult was also monitored; it used a significantly larger area (12.71–25.90 km2). In most cases, home range sizes did not vary seasonally and were not affected by drastic changes in food availability. That foxes maintain a constant territory size is in accordance with both the "contractor" and "obstinate" strategies. The small observed sizes suggest that after the eradication of rabies, rural areas of central Europe are very good habitats for foxes. In the absence of clumped feeding patches or constraining factors (e.g., deep snow cover), the foxes moved regularly throughout their home range, typically in a "non-oriented zigzag." The distance travelled per day seemed to be affected only by home range size (positive correlation) and occasionally, according to the individual, by weather or snow cover. On average, the foxes moved 3.9–12.0 km a day. Despite its significantly larger home range, the nomadic fox did not move more than the resident foxes; the physical characteristics of red foxes probably set a limit to the distance travelled daily.

scholarly journals Home range characteristics and diel patterns in space use of mutton snapper, Lutjanus analis, in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Heidmann ◽  
Jonathan Jossart ◽  
Melissa Kimble ◽  
Richard S. Nemeth
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Us Virgin Islands ◽  
Diel Patterns ◽  
Management Actions

Abstract Background The movement ecology of mutton snapper Lutjanus analis is poorly understood despite their ecological and economic importance in the Caribbean. Passive acoustic telemetry was used to determine home ranges of six adult L. analis, including diel patterns, in Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Understanding long-term space use, including site fidelity and habitat usage, is necessary to implement effective and appropriate management actions for a species with extensive space and resource needs. Results Individual L. analis were tracked over an average period of 316 days (range 125–509 days) and showed high site fidelity to relatively small home ranges (mean ± SD: 0.103 ± 0.028 km2, range 0.019–0.190 km2) and core use areas with low overlap among individuals. Most home ranges had a habitat composition dominated by seagrass and to a lesser degree, coral reef and/or pavement. Nighttime activity spaces were distinct from but contained within daytime areas. Conclusions Mutton snapper showed strong site fidelity to home ranges in Brewers Bay. Two individuals that were absent from the array for more than a few hours were detected at separate arrays at spawning aggregation sites. This study expands upon knowledge of mutton snapper home range characteristics, highlights the importance of maintaining adjacent high-quality habitat types in any spatial management plan, and encourages the adoption of other types of management strategies, particularly for transient-aggregating species.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document