Biogeographical and ecological factors associated with kill rates of an apex predator

AbstractKill rates and functional responses are fundamental to the study of predator ecology and the understanding of predatory-prey dynamics. As the most widely distributed apex predator in the western hemisphere pumas (Puma concolor) have been widely studied yet a biogeographical synthesis of their kill rates is currently lacking. We reviewed the literature and compiled data on sex- and age-specific kill rate estimates of pumas on ungulates, and conducted analyses aimed at understanding ecological factors explaining the observed variation across their range. Kill rate studies on pumas, while numerous, were primarily conducted in Temperate Conifer Forests (< 10% of puma range), revealing a dearth of knowledge across much of their range, especially from tropical and subtropical habitats. Across studies, kill rates in ungulates/week were highest for adult females with kitten(s) (1.24 ± 0.41 ungulates/week) but did not vary significantly between adult males (0.84 ± 0.18) and solitary adult females (0.99 ± 0.26). Kill rates in kg/day did not differ significantly among reproductive classes. Kill rates of adult pumas increased with ungulate density. Ungulate species richness had a weak negative association with adult male kill rates. Neither scavenger richness, the proportion of non-ungulate prey in the diet, nor regional human population density had a significant effect on ungulate kill rates. Our results had a strong temperate-ecosystem bias highlighting the need for further research across the diverse biomes pumas occupy in order to make species level inferences. Data from more populations would also allow for multivariate analyses providing deeper inference into the ecological and behavioural factors driving kill rates and functional responses of pumas, and apex predators in general.

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Social and Behavioural Factors in Cetacean Responses to Overexploitation: Are Odontocetes Less “Resilient” Than Mysticetes?

Journal of Marine Biology ◽

10.1155/2012/567276 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Paul R. Wade ◽

Randall R. Reeves ◽

Sarah L. Mesnick

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Mating Systems ◽

Alloparental Care ◽

Transfer Of Knowledge ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Adult Males ◽

Baleen Whales ◽

Social Nature ◽

Adult Females ◽

Behavioural Factors

Many severely depleted populations of baleen whales (Mysticeti) have exhibited clear signs of recovery whereas there are few examples in toothed whales (Odontoceti). We hypothesize that this difference is due, at least in part, to social and behavioural factors. Clearly, a part of the lack of resilience to exploitation is explained by odontocete life history. However, an additional factor may be the highly social nature of many odontocetes in which survival and reproductive success may depend on: (a) social cohesion and organization, (b) mutual defence against predators and possible alloparental care, (c) inter-generational transfer of “knowledge”, and (d) leadership by older individuals. We found little evidence of strong recovery in any of the depleted populations examined. Their relatively low potential rates of increase mean that odontocete populations can be over-exploited with take rates of only a few percent per year. Exploitation can have effects beyond the dynamics of individual removals. Four species showed evidence of a decrease in birth rates following exploitation; potential mechanisms include a deficit of adult females, a deficit of adult males, and disruption of mating systems. The evidence for a lack of strong recovery in heavily exploited odontocete populations indicates that management should be more precautionary.

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Determinants of differences in the activity budgets of Rhinopithecus bieti by age/sex class at Xiangguqing in the Baimaxueshan nature reserve, China

Archives of Biological Sciences ◽

10.2298/abs140917033l ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 675-683 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yanhong Li ◽

Dayong Li ◽

Baoping Ren ◽

Jie Hu ◽

Baoguo Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nature Reserve ◽

Reproductive Investment ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Developmental Differences ◽

Adult Males ◽

Activity Budgets ◽

Rhinopithecus Bieti ◽

Adult Females ◽

Class 1 ◽

In The Wild

Ecological factors are known to influence the activity budgets of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti). However, little is known about how activity budgets vary between age/sex classes, because the species is difficult to observe in the wild. This study provides the first detailed activity budgets subdivided by age/sex classes based on observations of the largest habituated group at Xiangguqing in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve. This study was conducted from June 2008 to May 2009. We found that adult females spent more time feeding (44.8%) than adult males (39.5%), juveniles (39.1%), and infants (14.2%). Adult males allocated more time to miscellaneous activities (12.5%) than did adult females (3.8%). Infants were being groomed 6.9% of the time, which was the highest proportion among all age/sex classes. Adults spent more time feeding, while immature individuals allocated more time to moving and other activities. There are several reasons activity budgets may vary by age/sex class: 1) differential reproductive investment between males and females; 2) developmental differences among the age categories; 3) social relationships between members of different age/sex classes, particularly dominance. In addition, group size and adult sex ratio may also impact activity budgets. These variations in activity budgets among the different age/sex classes may become a selective pressure that shapes the development and growth pattern in this species. This article has been retracted. Link to the retraction <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/ABS160112009E">10.2298/ABS160112009E</a>

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Seasonal Dynamics of the Leaffooted Bug Leptoglossus zonatus and Its Implications for Control in Almonds and Pistachios

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10080255 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 255 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kent M. Daane ◽

Glenn Y. Yokota ◽

Houston Wilson

Keyword(s):

Western Hemisphere ◽

Economic Damage ◽

Adult Males ◽

Hatch Rate ◽

Adult Females ◽

Monitoring Programs ◽

Males And Females ◽

One Year ◽

The One ◽

Successive Generations

Leptoglossus zonatus is a polyphagous pest found throughout much of the Western Hemisphere. In California, L. zonatus attacks almond, pistachio, pomegranate, and walnut crops, but the seasonal use of and economic damage to these crops varies. To better understand the seasonal changes of L. zonatus populations and to improve monitoring programs in California’s San Joaquin Valley, we caged overwintering adult males and females and then followed the resulting population dynamics over a one-year period. There were three generations over the one-year period, although eggs, nymphs, and adults overlapped among successive generations. From an initial 75 overwintering adult females, there were 1214 egg strands, 16,692 nymphs, and 4900 adults recorded during the one-year period. Depending on the generation, the number of nymphs per egg strand ranged from 11.3 to 14.3; the sex ratio was close to 1:1 with the exception of one female-biased cage; and nymph mortality ranged from 22.0% to 39.5%. Adult females isolated from each generation produced 2.4–5.1 egg strands per female that totaled 41.7–61.7 eggs per female with a 67.1–86.8% successful hatch rate. We find that the adult is the overwintering stage, as more adults (without food provisions) survived the winter compared to medium-sized or large-sized nymphs provided with both food and water. The results are discussed with respect to the development of L. zonatus control and monitoring programs for California’s multi-billion-dollar (US) nut crops.

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Return of an apex predator to a suburban preserve triggers a rapid trophic cascade

10.1101/564294 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kevin Leempoel ◽

Jordana Meyer ◽

Trevor Hebert ◽

Nicole Nova ◽

Elizabeth A. Hadly

Keyword(s):

Trophic Cascade ◽

Puma Concolor ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Apex Predator ◽

Apex Predators ◽

Non Invasive ◽

And Behavior ◽

Fecal Sampling

ABSTRACTAbsence of apex predators simplifies food chains, leading to trophic degradation of ecosystems and diminution of the services they provide1. However, most predators do not coexist well with humans, which has resulted in a decline of carnivores and functional ecosystems worldwide2. In some instances, cryptic carnivores manage to survive amidst human settlements, finding refuge in small biological islands surrounded by urban landscapes. In such a system, we used two non-invasive data collection methods (camera trapping and fecal sampling) to investigate the multiannual relationship between predators and prey, and between competitors, through analysis of: (1) relative abundance and detection probability of species over time, (2) causal interactions via empirical dynamic modeling, (3) diet, and (4) diel activity patterns. All approaches show concordance in the results: the natural return of an apex predator, the puma (Puma concolor), triggered a trophic cascade, affecting the abundance and behavior of its main prey, subordinate predators and other prey in the studied system. Our study demonstrates that trophic recovery can occur rapidly following the return of a top predator, even in small protected areas in increasingly urbanized landscapes.

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Terrestrial behavior and use of forest strata in a group of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus bieti at Xiaochangdu, Tibet

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/czoolo/55.3.180 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 180-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Zuofu Xiang ◽

Sheng Huo ◽

Wen Xiao ◽

Ruichang Quan ◽

Cyril C. Grueter

Keyword(s):

Sampling Method ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Food Distribution ◽

Adult Males ◽

Ecological Significance ◽

Rhinopithecus Bieti ◽

Black And White ◽

Food Items ◽

Adult Females ◽

Forest Strata

Abstract Food distribution and predation pressure are considered to be the main ecological factors that influence the use of forest strata (basically arboreality vs. terrestriality) in non-human primates. Here, we investigate ground use of wild, unprovisioned black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus bieti by means of the scan sampling method. The results show that the monkeys spent 15.0% of the day time on the ground; 16.6%, 12.7%, and 15.6% for adult males, adult females and juveniles, respectively. Adult males and juveniles of both sexes showed significantly higher rates of terrestrial time than adult females. Females without clinging infants spent significantly more time on the ground than expected, while females with clinging infants spent significantly less time on the ground than expected. These results suggest that the higher degree of terrestrial behavior for males and juveniles may be due to their higher agility in comparison with females. Our study showed that the monkeys fed more on lichens relative to other food items when in the trees, but more on buds/leaves, flowers, fruits/nuts, resin/bark, and herbs when on the ground. According to our investigation, the ecological significance of the species’ terrestriality lies mainly in the utilization of terrestrial food resources.

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Functional Responses ofNephus arcuatusKapur (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), the Most Important Predator of Spherical MealybugNipaecoccus viridis(Newstead)

Psyche A Journal of Entomology ◽

10.1155/2016/9417496 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sara Zarghami ◽

Mohammad Saeed Mossadegh ◽

Farhan Kocheili ◽

Hossein Allahyari ◽

Arash Rasekh

Keyword(s):

Functional Response ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Handling Time ◽

Predation Rate ◽

Adult Males ◽

Functional Responses ◽

Adult Females ◽

Important Predator ◽

Citrus Orchards ◽

Southwestern Iran

Nephus arcuatusKapur is an important predator ofNipaecoccus viridis(Newstead), in citrus orchards of southwestern Iran. This study examined the feeding efficiency of all stages ofN. arcuatusat different densities ofN. viridiseggs by estimating their functional responses. First and 2nd instar larvae as well as adult males exhibited a type II functional response. Attack rate and handling time were estimated to be 0.2749 h−1and 5.4252 h, respectively, for 1st instars, 0.5142 h−1and 1.1995 h for 2nd instars, and 0.4726 h−1and 0.7765 h for adult males. In contrast, 3rd and 4th instar larvae and adult females ofN. arcuatusexhibited a type III functional response. Constantband handling time were estimated to be 0.0142 and 0.4064 h for 3rd instars, respectively, 0.00660 and 0.1492 h for 4th instars, and 0.00859 and 0.2850 h for adult females. The functional response of these six developmental stages differed in handling time. Based on maximum predation rate, 4th instar larvae were the most predatory (160.9 eggs/d) followed by adult females (84.2 eggs/d). These findings suggest thatN. arcuatusis a promising biocontrol agent ofN. viridiseggs especially for 4th instar larvae and adult females.

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Two new species and taxonomic notes on the Neotropical spiny orb-weaving spi-ders Micrathena and Chaetacis (Araneae: Araneidae), with remarks on the development of Micrathena excavata IVAN L. F. MAGALHÃES & ADALBERTO J. SANTOS (Brazil)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2983.1.3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2983 (1) ◽

pp. 39 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

IVAN L. F. MAGALHÃES ◽

ADALBERTO J. SANTOS

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Junior Synonym ◽

Adult Males ◽

Development Stages ◽

Brazilian Amazonia ◽

Central Brazil ◽

Adult Females ◽

Two New Species ◽

Senior Synonym ◽

First Time

In this paper, M. yanomami n. sp., from Brazilian Amazonia, Chaetacis bandeirante n. sp., from Central Brazil, and the males of M. gaujoni Simon, 1897 and M. ruschii (Mello-Leitão, 1945) n. comb. , respectively from Ecuador and Brazil, are described and illustrated for the first time. An ontogenetic series of the last development stages of both sexes of Micrathena excavata (C. L. Koch, 1836) is illustrated and briefly described. Adult females are larger and have longer legs and larger abdomens than adult males. Probably females undergo at least one additional moult before adulthood, compared to males. Micrathena ornata Mello-Leitão, 1932 is considered a junior synonym of M. plana (C. L. Koch, 1836), and M. mastonota Mello-Leitão 1940 is synonymized with M. horrida (Taczanowski, 1873). Acrosoma ruschii Mello-Leitão, 1945 is revalidated, transferred to Micrathena and considered a senior synonym of M. cicuta Gonzaga & Santos, 2004. Chaetacis necopinata (Chickering, 1960) is recorded for Brazil for the first time. Chaetacis incisa (Walckenaer, 1841) is considered a nomen dubium.

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Spacing, movements, and habitat selection of the river otter in boreal Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-175 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (7) ◽

pp. 1314-1324 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

D. G. Reid ◽

T. E. Code ◽

A. C. H. Reid ◽

S. M. Herrero

Keyword(s):

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Adult Males ◽

Movement Rates ◽

River Otters ◽

Aquatic Mammal ◽

Adult Females ◽

Two Factors ◽

Bog Lakes ◽

Selection Of

Seasonal spacing patterns, home ranges, and movements of river otters (Lontra canadensis) were studied in boreal Alberta by means of radiotelemetry. Adult males occupied significantly larger annual home ranges than adult females. Males' ranges overlapped those of females and also each other's. In winter, home ranges of males shrank and showed less overlap. Otters often associated in groups, the core members typically being adult females with young, or adult males. Otters tended to be more solitary in winter. In winter, movement rates of all sex and age classes were similar, and much reduced for males compared with those in other seasons. These data indicated a strong limiting effect of winter ice on behaviour and dispersion. We tested the hypothesis that otters select water bodies in winter on the basis of the suitability of shoreline substrate and morphology for dens with access both to air and to water under ice. Intensity of selection was greatest in winter, with avoidance of gradually sloping shorelines of sand or gravel. Adults selected bog lakes with banked shores containing semi-aquatic mammal burrows, and lakes with beaver lodges. Subadults selected beaver-impounded streams. Apart from human harvest, winter habitats and food availability in such habitats are likely the two factors most strongly limiting otter density in boreal Alberta.

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Time-Budgets of Camargue Horses Ii. Time-Budgets of Adult Horses and Weaned Sub-Adults

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853980x00023 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 72 (1-2) ◽

pp. 26-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

Patrick Duncan

Keyword(s):

Social Structure ◽

Social System ◽

General Trend ◽

Small Population ◽

Time Budgets ◽

Adult Males ◽

Adult Females ◽

Young Horses

AbstractTime-budgets of adult and weaned sub-adult horses were studied in a small population of Camargue horses living in semi-liberty. The categories of activities used were: Standing resting, Lying flat, Lying up, Standing alert, Walking, Trotting, Galloping, Rolling and Foraging. The main differences in time-budgets were related to age and to sex : young horses spent more time lying (sleeping), males spent more time standing alert and in rapid movements (trot, gallop), while usually foraging less than did the adult females. During the three years of the study the population increased from 20 to 54 horses and there were considerable changes in social structure as the number of adult males increased. Associated with these developments there were some changes between years in the time-budgets: the most striking of which was a general trend for all horses to spend less time lying. Nonetheless the time-budgets showed a considerable constancy across years and age/sex-classes, especially with regard to time spent foraging. This conclusion may provide a clue as to why horses have an unusual social system based on long term relationships between a male and the females of his harem.

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Kill rate by wolves on moose in the Yukon

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z99-187 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 78 (1) ◽

pp. 49-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

R D Hayes ◽

A M Baer ◽

U Wotschikowsky ◽

A S Harestad

Keyword(s):

Canis Lupus ◽

Snow Depth ◽

Prey Density ◽

Large Scale ◽

Rangifer Tarandus ◽

Prey Selection ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Predation Rate ◽

Wolf Predation ◽

Kill Rate

We studied the kill rate by wolves (Canis lupus) after a large-scale wolf removal when populations of wolves, moose (Alces alces), and woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) were all increasing. We followed a total of 21 wolf packs for 4 winters, measuring prey selection, kill rates, and ecological factors that could influence killing behavior. Wolf predation was found to be mainly additive on both moose and caribou populations. Kill rates by individual wolves were inversely related to pack size and unrelated to prey density or snow depth. Scavenging by ravens decreased the amount of prey biomass available for wolves to consume, especially for wolves in smaller packs. The kill rate by wolves on moose calves was not related to the number of calves available each winter. Wolves did not show a strong switching response away from moose as the ratio of caribou to moose increased in winter. The predation rate by wolves on moose was best modeled by the number and size of packs wolves were organized into each winter.

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