scholarly journals Spatiotemporal co-occurrence and overlap of two sympatric mongoose species in an urban environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Elizabeth Cronk ◽  
Neville Pillay
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
Occupancy Probability ◽  
Yellow Mongoose ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Habitat Scale

Abstract Small carnivores are becoming increasingly common in urban areas. What has received less attention is whether and how resource partitioning among sympatric species in urban areas facilitates their coexistence. We examined the spatial, temporal and combined spatiotemporal occurrence and overlap of co-existing yellow mongoose Cynictis penicillata and slender mongoose Galerella sanguinea in an urban estate in South Africa. The reserve comprised two parts, an Eco-Estate where human residential and natural areas are interspersed and wildlife has greater contact with people, and a Nature Estate, where contact is reduced by palisade fencing between people and natural areas. Using photographic data from camera traps collected over 11 consecutive months, we found a moderate level of spatial overlap between the mongoose species. Differences between the species occurred at a finer habitat scale: yellow mongooses were more common in open habitats located near human residents whereas the slender mongooses were more common in covered areas further away from human residents. The detection probability of the yellow mongoose, however, was greater than that of the slender mongoose, and the occupancy probability of the slender mongoose was reduced in the presence of the yellow mongoose. Although both species demonstrated bimodal diurnal peaks in activity, they varied in their active periods, with temporal overlap being greater during colder than warmer months. No complete spatiotemporal overlap (occurrence in the same place at the same time/within a 10-min period) occurred. This may have been as a result of the difference in detection and occupancy probabilities of the two species. Resource availability (food), however, appears to influence the different habitat selection, space use, and activity patterns of yellow and slender mongoose in the study area. Therefore, we conclude that partitioning along the spatial and somewhat on the temporal dimensions aids in the coexistence of these mongoose species in an urban environment.

scholarly journals Plasticity in the timing of activity in the Red-rumped Agouti, Dasyprocta leporina (Mammalia: Rodentia), in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Martins Magalhães ◽  
Ana Carolina Srbek-Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Coastal Area ◽  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Local Effect ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Solar Rays

Abstract Timing of activity is a consequence of adaptations to daily and seasonal changes in the environment and examining these patterns is important to better understand the temporal niches of the species. Here we examine temporal activity in the Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) in two fragments of Atlantic Forest and those factors that influence the circadian rhythm in the study areas. Camera traps were used to gather data in two protected areas (one montane and other coastal) in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. A total of 49 photos were taken in the mountains and 152 in the coastal area. Activity patterns were diurnal and bimodal, and animals were active for 14-15 hours each day. Activity peaked in the morning soon after sunrise and then before and during dusk. Activity patterns were different in the two study areas (W = 6.77, p = 0.034). There was a longer peak in the morning in the coastal area, and a higher peak in the evening in the mountains, where activity starts later and becomes less intense earlier. The difference between activity patterns in the two locations suggests plasticity in agouti behavior. Because the two study areas are at about the same latitude, we suggest that the behavioral plasticity is due to different temperature regimes associated with a local effect of altitude and topography of the terrain on the incidence of solar rays inside the forest. The influence of other factors is also discussed. In addition to a better understanding of the temporal niche of the Red-rumped Agouti, the behavior patterns we describe here can be useful to optimize strategies for D. leporina conservation in southeastern Brazil once the species is more susceptible to poaching at times when animals are most active.

scholarly journals Flexible Use of Urban Resources by the Yellow Mongoose Cynictis penicillata

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
Nadine Elizabeth Cronk ◽  
Neville Pillay
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitats ◽  
Yellow Mongoose ◽  
Temporal Occurrence ◽  
Anthropogenic Food Sources

Several species are negatively impacted by urbanization, while others thrive in urban areas by exploiting anthropogenic habitats matching their pre-existing niche preferences, or by modifying their behavior for urban life. We studied the ecology of a recent urban resident, the yellow mongoose, in an urban ecological estate in South Africa. We assessed urban dwelling yellow mongooses’ diet, spatial and temporal occurrence, home range size, and whenever possible, compared our findings to the published literature on their non-urban conspecifics. Additionally, we evaluated occurrence overlap with residential gardens. Similar to their non-urban counterparts, scat analyses revealed that yellow mongooses in urban areas fed mainly on insects, particularly during spring/summer. In the colder months, anthropogenic items, small mammals and birds in scats increased. Camera trap surveys showed that the mongooses were common in open habitats, similar to previous studies, and exhibited a species-typical bimodal diurnal activity pattern. The occurrence of these mongooses was greater near human residences than at sites further away. Home range sizes were considerably smaller than those of non-urban mongoose. Mongoose occurred in residential gardens, more so during the colder months. The urban yellow mongooses’ diet, habitat preference and activity patterns were similar to non-urban conspecifics. Nonetheless, the exploitation of anthropogenic food sources, occurrence in residential gardens and smaller home range sizes showed that they respond flexibly to urbanization, and these modifications might aid in their success in urban areas.

PHYTOMONITORING AS A METOD OF THE ASSESSMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR POLLUTION BY URBAN ENVIRONMENT BY FINE DUST

2019 ◽  
pp. 42-53
Author(s):  
Irina Glinyanova ◽  
Valery Azarov ◽  
Valery Fomichev
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Prunus Armeniaca ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Fine Dust ◽  
Control Zone ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Random Functions ◽  
The City

Fine dust: (PM2.5, PM10) is a priority pollutant that contributes to the development of numerous dis-eases in urban areas. The purpose of this scientific work is to study the dispersed composition of dust parti-cles on the leaves of apricot trees (Prúnus armeníaca) in the residential zone of Volgograd. The novelty of the work lies in the study of the dispersed composition of dust particles on the leaves of apricot trees (Prúnus armeníaca) in the residential zone in the city of Volgograd near the construction industry enterprise, me-chanical engineering, leather production and railway transport line in comparison with the conditionally clean (control) zone of the SNT “Orocenets” ”(Sovetsky District, Volgograd) from the standpoint of random functions expressed by integral distribution curves of the mass of particles over their equivalent diameters. As a result of the research, the dispersed composition of dust on the leaves of apricot trees (Prúnus ar-meníaca) in the residential area of Volgograd was revealed. Fine particles were found: PM2.5, PM10 in each of the studied points, which by their values, both in their number and mass fraction, significantly exceed the data on fine dust in a conditionally clean area (control) in the SNT “Oroshanets” (Sovetsky district Volgo-grad), which creates certain environmental risks for local residents. The dispersed analysis of particles from the standpoint of random functions in the future will allow with a sufficiently high degree of accuracy to pre-dict the dust content of urban atmospheric air in the range of monthly and / or seasonal average values compared to the traditional measurement of fine dust concentration in atmospheric air of the urban environ-ment as the maximum single or daily average. At the same time, further studies of dust on the leaves of plants in an urban environment, namely, the study of the density of its sedimentation, will also reveal a group of ur-ban plants that are best suited to retain PM2.5 and PM10 on leaf plates in this region, which can significantly increase the quality of the atmospheric air of the urban environment and be of a recommendatory nature for the state-owned landscaping services of the city of Volgograd when improving the green areas of a megacity.

279 WACSAW: A Statistical and Individually Adaptive Method to Determine Sleep and Wakefulness from Activity

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A111-A112
Author(s):  
Austin Vandegriffe ◽  
V A Samaranayake ◽  
Matthew Thimgan
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Optimal Transport ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Adaptive Method ◽  
Wasserstein Distance ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Commercial Grade ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Levene Test

Abstract Introduction Technological innovations have broadened the type and amount of activity data that can be captured in the home and under normal living conditions. Yet, converting naturalistic activity patterns into sleep and wakefulness states has remained a challenge. Despite the successes of current algorithms, they do not fill all actigraphy needs. We have developed a novel statistical approach to determine sleep and wakefulness times, called the Wasserstein Algorithm for Classifying Sleep and Wakefulness (WACSAW), and validated the algorithm in a small cohort of healthy participants. Methods WACSAW functional routines: 1) Conversion of the triaxial movement data into a univariate time series; 2) Construction of a Wasserstein weighted sum (WSS) time series by measuring the Wasserstein distance between equidistant distributions of movement data before and after the time-point of interest; 3) Segmenting the time series by identifying changepoints based on the behavior of the WSS series; 4) Merging segments deemed similar by the Levene test; 5) Comparing segments by optimal transport methodology to determine the difference from a flat, invariant distribution at zero. The resulting histogram can be used to determine sleep and wakefulness parameters around a threshold determined for each individual based on histogram properties. To validate the algorithm, participants wore the GENEActiv and a commercial grade actigraphy watch for 48 hours. The accuracy of WACSAW was compared to a detailed activity log and benchmarked against the results of the output from commercial wrist actigraph. Results WACSAW performed with an average accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of >95% compared to detailed activity logs in 10 healthy-sleeping individuals of mixed sexes and ages. We then compared WACSAW’s performance against a common wrist-worn, commercial sleep monitor. WACSAW outperformed the commercial grade system in each participant compared to activity logs and the variability between subjects was cut substantially. Conclusion The performance of WACSAW demonstrates good results in a small test cohort. In addition, WACSAW is 1) open-source, 2) individually adaptive, 3) indicates individual reliability, 4) based on the activity data stream, and 5) requires little human intervention. WACSAW is worthy of validating against polysomnography and in patients with sleep disorders to determine its overall effectiveness. Support (if any):

scholarly journals Understanding policing demand and deployment through the lens of the city and with the application of big data

Urban Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004209802098100
Author(s):  
Mark Ellison ◽  
Jon Bannister ◽  
Won Do Lee ◽  
Muhammad Salman Haleem
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Multilevel Model ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Criminological Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Generalised Method Of Moments ◽  
The City

The effective, efficient and equitable policing of urban areas rests on an appreciation of the qualities and scale of, as well as the factors shaping, demand. It also requires an appreciation of the factors shaping the resources deployed in their address. To this end, this article probes the extent to which policing demand (crime, anti-social behaviour, public safety and welfare) and deployment (front-line resource) are similarly conditioned by the social and physical urban environment, and by incident complexity. The prospect of exploring policing demand, deployment and their interplay is opened through the utilisation of big data and artificial intelligence and their integration with administrative and open data sources in a generalised method of moments (GMM) multilevel model. The research finds that policing demand and deployment hold varying and time-sensitive association with features of the urban environment. Moreover, we find that the complexities embedded in policing demands serve to shape both the cumulative and marginal resources expended in their address. Beyond their substantive policy relevance, these findings serve to open new avenues for urban criminological research centred on the consideration of the interplay between policing demand and deployment.

Cougar and jaguar habitat use and activity patterns in central Mexico

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Octavio Monroy-Vilchis ◽  
Vicente Urios ◽  
Martha Zarco-González ◽  
Clarita Rodríguez-Soto
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Activity Period ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
Steep Slopes ◽  
Forest Habitats

AbstractIn this study the habitat use and activity patterns of the two of the largest cats of the Americas in central Mexico were studied. Three ways to detect felid presence were employed from August 2002 to May 2006: interviews, signs, and camera-traps. 478 records were obtained, from which 441 were from cougar and 37 from jaguar. These records included positive response in 118 of 140 interviews and 236 records of signs (mainly tracks and scats), and 124 photographs. Both felids preferred pine-oak forest habitats, with altitudes higher than 1800 m, distances between 3509 and 4377 m from roads, between 2329 and 4650 m from settlements, and distances to very steep slopes between 1048 and 2059 m, for jaguar, and for cougar lower than 1047 m. Jaguar activity was recorded mainly during nighttimes, between 0:00 and 6:00, whereas cougar was active between 4:00 and 6:00 and between 18:00 and 22:00 hours, avoiding the jaguar's principal activity period.

Social Participation for Implementation of Camera Traps Projects in Managed and Protected Natural Areas of Mexico

2020 ◽  
pp. 361-380
Author(s):  
Efrén Moreno-Arzate ◽  
Juan Pablo Esparza-Carlos ◽  
María Magdalena Ramírez-Martínez ◽  
Luis Ignacio Iñiguez-Dávalos
Keyword(s):  
Social Participation ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
Protected Natural Areas

scholarly journals Environmental Risk Assessment of Vehicle Exhaust Particles on Aquatic Organisms of Different Trophic Levels

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Konstantin Pikula ◽  
Mariya Tretyakova ◽  
Alexander Zakharenko ◽  
Seyed Ali Johari ◽  
Sergey Ugay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Artemia Salina ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Submicron Particles ◽  
Vehicle Exhaust ◽  
Exhaust Particles ◽  
The Difference

Vehicle emission particles (VEPs) represent a significant part of air pollution in urban areas. However, the toxicity of this category of particles in different aquatic organisms is still unexplored. This work aimed to extend the understanding of the toxicity of the vehicle exhaust particles in two species of marine diatomic microalgae, the planktonic crustacean Artemia salina, and the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius. These aquatic species were applied for the first time in the risk assessment of VEPs. Our results demonstrated that the samples obtained from diesel-powered vehicles completely prevented egg fertilization of the sea urchin S. intermedius and caused pronounced membrane depolarization in the cells of both tested microalgae species at concentrations between 10 and 100 mg/L. The sample with the highest proportion of submicron particles and the highest content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) had the highest growth rate inhibition in both microalgae species and caused high toxicity to the crustacean. The toxicity level of the other samples varied among the species. We can conclude that metal content and the difference in the concentrations of PAHs by itself did not directly reflect the toxic level of VEPs, but the combination of both a high number of submicron particles and high PAH concentrations had the highest toxic effect on all the tested species.

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