scholarly journals State-dependent foraging by caribou with different nutritional requirements

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 544-557
Author(s):  
Kristin Denryter ◽  
Rachel C Cook ◽  
John G Cook ◽  
Katherine L Parker ◽  
Michael P Gillingham
Keyword(s):  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Nutritional Requirements ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Foraging Time

Abstract Foraging by animals is hypothesized to be state-dependent, that is, varying with physiological condition of individuals. State often is defined by energy reserves, but state also can reflect differences in nutritional requirements (e.g., for reproduction, lactation, growth, etc.). Testing hypotheses about state-dependent foraging in ungulates is difficult because fine-scale data needed to evaluate these hypotheses generally are lacking. To evaluate whether foraging by caribou (Rangifer tarandus) was state-dependent, we compared bite and intake rates, travel rates, dietary quality, forage selection, daily foraging time, and foraging strategies of caribou with three levels of nutritional requirements (lactating adults, nonlactating adults, subadults 1–2 years old). Only daily foraging times and daily nutrient intakes differed among nutritional classes of caribou. Lactating caribou foraged longer per day than nonlactating caribou—a difference that was greatest at the highest rates of intake, but which persisted even when intake was below requirements. Further, at sites where caribou achieved high rates of intake, caribou in each nutritional class continued foraging even after satisfying daily nutritional requirements, which was consistent with a foraging strategy to maximize energy intake. Foraging time by caribou was partially state-dependent, highlighting the importance of accounting for physiological state in studies of animal behavior. Fine-scale foraging behaviors may influence larger-scale behavioral strategies, with potential implications for conservation and management.

scholarly journals How shearwaters prey. New insights in foraging behaviour and marine foraging associations using bird-borne video cameras

2021 ◽  
Vol 169 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Michel ◽  
Marco Cianchetti-Benedetti ◽  
Carlo Catoni ◽  
Giacomo Dell’Omo
Keyword(s):  
Prey Type ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Video Cameras ◽  
Natural Prey ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Calonectris Diomedea ◽  
Fishery Discards ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Conventional bio-logging techniques used for ethological studies of seabirds have their limitations when studying detailed behaviours at sea. This study uses animal-borne video cameras to reveal fine-scale behaviours, associations with conspecifics and other species and interactions with fishery vessels during foraging of a Mediterranean seabird. The study was conducted on Scopoli's shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) breeding in Linosa island (35°51′33″ N; 12°51′34″ E) during summer 2020. Foraging events were video recorded from a seabirds' view with lightweight cameras attached to the birds' back. Foraging always occurred in association with other shearwaters. Competitive events between shearwaters were observed, and their frequency was positively correlated to the number of birds in the foraging aggregation. Associations with tunas and sea turtles have been frequent observations at natural foraging sites. During foraging events, video recordings allowed observations of fine-scale behaviours, which would have remained unnoticed with conventional tracking devices. Foraging events could be categorised by prey type into “natural prey” and “fishery discards”. Analysis of the video footage suggests behavioural differences between the two prey type categories. Those differences suggest that the foraging effort between natural prey and fishery discards consumption can vary, which adds new arguments to the discussion about energy trade-offs and choice of foraging strategy. These observations highlight the importance of combining tracking technologies to obtain a complete picture of the at-sea behaviours of seabirds, which is essential for understanding the impact of foraging strategies and seabird-fishery interactions. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Be different to be better: the effect of personality on optimal foraging with incomplete knowledge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poppy M. Jeffries ◽  
Samantha C. Patrick ◽  
Jonathan R. Potts
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Foraging ◽  
Optimal Foraging Theory ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Partial Knowledge ◽  
Marginal Value ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Plausible Mechanism ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Modelling Approach

AbstractMany animal populations include a diversity of personalities, and these personalities are often linked to foraging strategy. However, it is not always clear why populations should evolve to have this diversity. Indeed, optimal foraging theory typically seeks out a single optimal strategy for individuals in a population. So why do we, in fact, see a variety of strategies existing in a single population? Here, we aim to provide insight into this conundrum by modelling the particular case of foraging seabirds, that forage on patchy prey. These seabirds have only partial knowledge of their environment: they do not know exactly where the next patch will emerge, but they may have some understanding of which locations are more likely to lead to patch emergence than others. Many existing optimal foraging studies assume either complete knowledge (e.g. Marginal Value Theorem) or no knowledge (e.g. Lévy Flight Hypothesis), but here we construct a new modelling approach which incorporates partial knowledge. In our model, different foraging strategies are favoured by different birds along the bold-shy personality continuum, so we can assess the optimality of a personality type. We show that it is optimal to be shy (resp. bold) when living in a population of bold (resp. shy) birds. This observation gives a plausible mechanism behind the emergence of diverse personalities. We also show that environmental degradation is likely to favour shyer birds and cause a decrease in diversity of personality over time.

scholarly journals Diving deep into trouble: the role of foraging strategy and morphology in adapting to a changing environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Ladds ◽  
David Rosen ◽  
Carling Gerlinsky ◽  
David Slip ◽  
Robert Harcourt
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Central Place ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Body Morphology ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
Adequate Food ◽  
Physiological Capacity ◽  
Total Body Oxygen

Abstract Physiology places constraints on an animal’s ability to forage and those unable to adapt to changing conditions may face increased challenges to reproduce and survive. As the global marine environment continues to change, small, air-breathing, endothermic marine predators such as otariids (fur seals and sea lions) and particularly females, who are constrained by central place foraging during breeding, may experience increased difficulties in successfully obtaining adequate food resources. We explored whether physiological limits of female otariids may be innately related to body morphology (fur seals vs sea lions) and/or dictate foraging strategies (epipelagic vs mesopelagic or benthic). We conducted a systematic review of the increased body of literature since the original reviews of Costa et al. (When does physiology limit the foraging behaviour of freely diving mammals? Int Congr Ser 2004;1275:359–366) and Arnould and Costa (Sea lions in drag, fur seals incognito: insights from the otariid deviants. In Sea Lions of the World Fairbanks. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, Alaska, USA, pp. 309–324, 2006) on behavioural (dive duration and depth) and physiological (total body oxygen stores and diving metabolic rates) parameters. We estimated calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL—estimated duration of aerobic dives) for species and used simulations to predict the proportion of dives that exceeded the cADL. We tested whether body morphology or foraging strategy was the primary predictor of these behavioural and physiological characteristics. We found that the foraging strategy compared to morphology was a better predictor of most parameters, including whether a species was more likely to exceed their cADL during a dive and the ratio of dive time to cADL. This suggests that benthic and mesopelagic divers are more likely to be foraging at their physiological capacity. For species operating near their physiological capacity (regularly exceeding their cADL), the ability to switch strategies is limited as the cost of foraging deeper and longer is disproportionally high, unless it is accompanied by physiological adaptations. It is proposed that some otariids may not have the ability to switch foraging strategies and so be unable adapt to a changing oceanic ecosystem.

scholarly journals State-dependent behavior and alternative behavioral strategies in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) fry

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joacim Näslund ◽  
Jörgen I Johnsson
Keyword(s):  
Brown Trout ◽  
Salmo Trutta ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Swimming Activity ◽  
The Other ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Food Ration ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Behavioral Trials ◽  
Bodily State

Animals generally adjust their behavior in response to bodily state (e.g. size and energy reserves) to optimize energy intake in relation to mortality risk, weighing predation probability against starvation. Here we investigated whether brown trout adjust their behavior in relation to feeding history (energetic status) and body size during a major early-life selection bottleneck, when fast growth also appear to be important. We manipulated growth using different food ration schemes over two consecutive time periods (P1 = 12 days, P2 = 23 days), excluding social effects through individual isolation. During these experimental periods the fish were fed either high or low food rations in a crossed design. In behavioral trials following the treatment, where acute hunger levels were standardized among all treatments, fish that were initially fed high rations (P1) and thereafter low rations (P2) had on average 15-21% higher swimming activity than the other groups, but large within-treatment variation rendered only weak statistical support for the effect. Furthermore, fish on low ration during P2 tended to be more aggressive than fish on high ration. Size was related to behavioral expression, with larger fish being more active and aggressive. Swimming activity and active aggression were positively correlated, forming a behavioral syndrome in the studied population. Based on these behavioral traits we could also distinguish two behavioral clusters, one consisting of more active and aggressive individuals, and the other consisting of less active and aggressive individuals. This indicates that two behavioral strategies may exist in young brown trout.

scholarly journals Optimal Lévy-flight foraging in a finite landscape

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (104) ◽  
pp. 20141158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Zhao ◽  
Raja Jurdak ◽  
Jiajun Liu ◽  
David Westcott ◽  
Branislav Kusy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Law ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Lévy Flight ◽  
Step Size ◽  
Levy Flight ◽  
Ballistic Motion ◽  
Wide Range

We present a simple model to study Lévy-flight foraging with a power-law step-size distribution in a finite landscape with countable targets. We find that different optimal foraging strategies characterized by a wide range of power-law exponent μ opt , from ballistic motion ( μ opt → 1) to Lévy flight (1 < μ opt < 3) to Brownian motion ( μ opt ≥ 3), may arise in adaptation to the interplay between the termination of foraging, which is regulated by the number of foraging steps, and the environmental context of the landscape, namely the landscape size and number of targets. We further demonstrate that stochastic returning can be another significant factor that affects the foraging efficiency and optimality of foraging strategy. Our study provides a new perspective on Lévy-flight foraging, opens new avenues for investigating the interaction between foraging dynamics and the environment and offers a realistic framework for analysing animal movement patterns from empirical data.

Long- versus short-range foraging strategies of hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired (Lasionycteris noctivagans) bats and the consequences for prey selection

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 2507-2515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. R. Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Short Range ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Lasiurus Cinereus ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Lasionycteris Noctivagans ◽  
Selection Of

Habitat use, temporal activity, foraging behaviour, and prey selection of hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) were studied at Delta Marsh, Manitoba. Bat activity was assessed by monitoring echolocation calls with ultrasonic detectors. Prey availability was determined using sticky and Malaise traps and dietary information was obtained from fecal analysis. Both species were active all night and foraged primarily in the lee of a narrow forested ridge. Lasionycteris noctivagans foraged in a manner that indicates that it detects and pursues prey over short distances. These bats fly slowly, are highly manoeuverable, and were commonly observed feeding on swarms of insects in small clearings. They use echolocation calls that support the notion of a short-range foraging strategy and feed opportunistically on whatever insects are available. Lasiurus cinereus, on the other hand, uses a long-range prey detection and pursuit foraging strategy. They fly rapidly along straight line paths in open areas and use echolocation calls designed to detect insects at a distance. The diet consists primarily of large insects (moths, beetles, and dragonflies), but the bats nonetheless feed opportunistically. The foraging strategy likely restricts the availability and profitability of small insects as prey.

scholarly journals Unique fine scale village spatial-temporal distributions of Anopheles farauti differ by physiological state and sex

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar J. M. Pollard ◽  
Tanya L. Russell ◽  
Allan Apairamo ◽  
Thomas R. Burkot
Keyword(s):  
Solomon Island ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Peak Activity ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Anopheles Farauti ◽  
Mosquito Collection ◽  
Human Landing ◽  
Gravid Females

Abstract Background The ecology of many mosquitoes, including Anopheles farauti, the dominant malaria vector in the southwest Pacific including the Solomon Islands, remains inadequately understood. Studies to map fine scale vector distributions are biased when trapping techniques use lures that will influence the natural movements of mosquitoes by attracting them to traps. However, passive collection methods allow the detailed natural distributions of vector populations by sex and physiological states to be revealed. Methods The barrier screen, a passive mosquito collection method along with human landing catches were used to record An. farauti distributions over time and space in two Solomon Island villages from May 2016 to July 2017. Results Temporal and spatial distributions of over 15,000 mosquitoes, including males as well as unfed, host seeking, blood-fed, non-blood fed and gravid females were mapped. These spatial and temporal patterns varied by species, sex and physiological state. Sugar-fed An. farauti were mostly collected between 10–20 m away from houses with peak activity from 18:00 to 19:00 h. Male An. farauti were mostly collected greater than 20 m from houses with peak activity from 19:00 to 20:00 h. Conclusions Anopheles farauti subpopulations, as defined by physiological state and sex, are heterogeneously distributed in Solomon Island villages. Understanding the basis for these observed heterogeneities will lead to more accurate surveillance of mosquitoes and will enable spatial targeting of interventions for greater efficiency and effectiveness of vector control.

Intertidal foraging by gentoo penguins in a macroalgal raft

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-44
Author(s):  
James B. McClintock ◽  
Charles D. Amsler ◽  
Margaret O. Amsler ◽  
William R. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Pygoscelis Papua ◽  
General Consensus ◽  
Foraging Tactics ◽  
Pygoscelid Penguins ◽  
Foraging Tactic

Foraging strategies in gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) have been well studied (e.g. Croxall et al. 1988, Robinson & Hindell 1996, Lescroël et al. 2004, Takahashi et al. 2008, Xavier et al. 2017). The general consensus is this largest member of the three pygoscelid penguins displays both nearshore benthic and pelagic foraging tactics to consume combinations of crustaceans and fish. In a recent study, Carpenter-Kling et al. (2017) reported that gentoos at sub-Antarctic Marion Island displayed a novel foraging strategy that consisted of alternating typical lengthy foraging trips with much shorter nearshore afternoon trips. They suggest the latter foraging behaviour may be a response to suboptimal feeding conditions caused by local environmental change. This novel discovery reinforces the fact that, despite considerable study, not all foraging tactics in penguins have been documented. In this paper, we describe what we believe to be, yet another undocumented foraging tactic employed by gentoos.

scholarly journals Multistate proteomics analysis reveals novel strategies used by a hibernator to precondition the heart and conserve ATP for winter heterothermy

2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (22) ◽  
pp. 1263-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine R. Grabek ◽  
Anis Karimpour-Fard ◽  
L. Elaine Epperson ◽  
Allyson Hindle ◽  
Lawrence E. Hunter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemia Reperfusion Injury ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Heart Functions ◽  
Branched Chain ◽  
Seasonal Analysis ◽  
Shock Proteins ◽  
Fatty Acid Catabolism ◽  
Winter Hibernation

The hibernator's heart functions continuously and avoids damage across the wide temperature range of winter heterothermy. To define the molecular basis of this phenotype, we quantified proteomic changes in the 13-lined ground squirrel heart among eight distinct physiological states encompassing the hibernator's year. Unsupervised clustering revealed a prominent seasonal separation between the summer homeotherms and winter heterotherms, whereas within-season state separation was limited. Further, animals torpid in the fall were intermediate to summer and winter, consistent with the transitional nature of this phase. A seasonal analysis revealed that the relative abundances of protein spots were mainly winter-increased. The winter-elevated proteins were involved in fatty acid catabolism and protein folding, whereas the winter-depleted proteins included those that degrade branched-chain amino acids. To identify further state-dependent changes, protein spots were re-evaluated with respect to specific physiological state, confirming the predominance of seasonal differences. Additionally, chaperone and heat shock proteins increased in winter, including HSPA4, HSPB6, and HSP90AB1, which have known roles in protecting against ischemia-reperfusion injury and apoptosis. The most significant and greatest fold change observed was a disappearance of phospho-cofilin 2 at low body temperature, likely a strategy to preserve ATP. The robust summer-to-winter seasonal proteomic shift implies that a winter-protected state is orchestrated before prolonged torpor ensues. Additionally, the general preservation of the proteome during winter hibernation and an increase of stress response proteins, together with dephosphorylation of cofilin 2, highlight the importance of ATP-conserving mechanisms for winter cardioprotection.

Changes in foraging behaviour during the infective stage of entomopathogenic nematodes

Parasitology ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Lewis ◽  
S. Selvan ◽  
J. F. Campbell ◽  
R. Gaugler
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora ◽  
Steinernema Carpocapsae ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Infective Juvenile ◽  
Infective Stage ◽  
Energy Reserves

SUMMARYStudies of foraging strategies are often complicated by competing goals of the forager. In contrast, non-feeding infective juvenile entomopathogenic nematodes forage exclusively for a single host. Two questions were posed: (1) what is the relationship between metabolic rate, energy reserves and foraging strategy and (2) when a foraging strategy fails, will an infective-stage parasite switch strategies? Three species of entomopathogenic nematodes were stored in water and changes in their behaviour, metabolic rate, energy reserves, and infectivity were measured throughout the storage period. Steinernema carpocapsae ambushes insect hosts, whereas S. glaseri and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora cruise forage. Steinernema carpocapsae was least active and had the lowest metabolic rate. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora was more active and had the highest metabolic rate. Steinernema glaseri was most active and had an intermediate metabolic rate. Neither cruising species changed foraging strategy. Steinernema carpocapsae decreased nictation (a behaviour associated with ambushing only) and increased their locomotory rate. Any change in searching strategy occurred without assessment of the profitability or distribution of potential hosts, but the advantage this confers is unknown.

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