Noninvasive genetic surveys before and after a megafire detect displacement of migratory mule deer

Due to climate change and past logging and fire suppression, the western US are experiencing increasingly large and frequent wildfires. Understanding how wildlife respond to these mega-fires is becoming increasingly relevant to protect and manage these populations. However, the lack of predictability inherent in such events makes studies difficult to plan. We took advantage of a large high-severity wildfire that burned adjacent to an ongoing study of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on their summer range upslope of the fire to investigate their displacement onto our study area both immediately and upon their return to summer range the following year. We used spatial capture-recapture models in conjunction with noninvasive fecal DNA sampling to estimate density and non-spatial Pradel robust-design models to estimate apparent survival and recruitment rates. Compared to density before the fire, we observed an increase in deer density and an increase in per-capita recruitment rates one month after the fire. These findings suggest that the immediate response of at least some deer was to flee the fire upslope onto the study area rather than to downslope toward their winter range. These changes did not carry over into the following year, however, suggesting that deer formerly using the burned area as summer range may have returned there despite the high severity of the fire, or may have chosen new areas for their summer range. This suggests that, at least in the short term, the fire did not negatively affect the deer population.

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Walking through a 'phoenix landscape': hiker surveys reveal nuanced perceptions of wildfire effects

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf19053 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 561

Author(s):

Alexandra M. Weill ◽

Lauren M. Watson ◽

Andrew M. Latimer

Keyword(s):

Prescribed Fire ◽

Fire Ecology ◽

Fire Suppression ◽

Recovery Period ◽

Fire Regimes ◽

The Past ◽

High Severity ◽

Before And After ◽

The Usa ◽

Local Ecology

Public opinion of wildfire is often perceived to be negative and in support of fire suppression, even though research suggests public opinions have become more positive over the past few decades. However, most prior work on this topic has focused on homeowners in forested regions. In this study, we shift the lens to hikers in a chaparral- and oak-savannah-dominated landscape that burned at high severity in 2015. We surveyed hikers before and after their hike about their familiarity and perceptions of local fire, and wildfire in the nation at large. We found hikers were familiar with topics such as prescribed fire and basic fire ecology, but knew little about local ecology or fire regimes. Post-hike perceptions of fire and feelings about wildfire in the USA were complex and heterogeneous, not predominantly negative. Contrary to frequent media descriptions of post-fire landscapes as ‘devastated’ or ‘moonscapes,’ many participants described the burned landscape with awe and admiration. These results suggest that residents of fire-prone landscapes may benefit from programming that emphasises benefits and challenges of fire in the local landscape and incorporates visits to local burned sites throughout the recovery period.

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Spatiotemporal variation in the fecal microbiota of mule deer is associated with proximate and future measures of host health

BMC Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s12917-021-02972-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hyrum S. Eddington ◽

Courtney Carroll ◽

Randy T. Larsen ◽

Brock R. McMillan ◽

John M. Chaston

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Marker Gene ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Mule Deer ◽

Winter Season ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Food Sources ◽

Nutrient Metabolism ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Before And After

Abstract Background Mule deer rely on fat and protein stored prior to the winter season as an energy source during the winter months when other food sources are sparse. Since associated microorganisms (‘microbiota’) play a significant role in nutrient metabolism of their hosts, we predicted that variation in the microbiota might be associated with nutrient storage and overwintering in mule deer populations. To test this hypothesis we performed a 16S rRNA marker gene survey of fecal samples from two deer populations in the western United States before and after onset of winter. Results PERMANOVA analysis revealed the deer microbiota varied interactively with geography and season. Further, using metadata collected at the time of sampling, we were able to identify different fecal bacterial taxa that could potentially act as bioindicators of mule deer health outcomes. First, we identified the abundance of Collinsella (family: Coriobacteriaceae) reads as a possible predictor of poor overwintering outcomes for deer herds in multiple locations. Second, we showed that reads assigned to the Bacteroides and Mollicutes Order RF39 were both positively correlated with deer protein levels, leading to the idea that these sequences might be useful in predicting mule deer protein storage. Conclusions These analyses confirm that variation in the microbiota is associated with season-dependent health outcomes in mule deer, which may have useful implications for herd management strategies.

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Minimizing the cost of wildland fire suppression: a model with uncertainty in predicted flame length and fire-line width produced

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x94-164 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 1253-1259 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Romain Mees ◽

David Strauss ◽

Richard Chase

Keyword(s):

Line Width ◽

Wildland Fire ◽

Fire Suppression ◽

Flame Length ◽

Burned Area ◽

Expected Cost ◽

Control Time ◽

The Cost ◽

Attack Strategy

We describe a model that estimates the optimal total expected cost of a wildland fire, given uncertainty in both flame length and fire-line width produced. In the model, a sequence of possible fire-line perimeters is specified, each with a forecasted control time. For a given control time and fire line, the probability of containment of the fire is determined as a function of the fire-fighting resources available. Our procedure assigns the resources to the fire line so as to minimize the total expected cost. A key feature of the model is that the probabilities reflect the degree of uncertainty in (i) the width of fire line that can be built with a given resource allocation, and (ii) the flame length of the fire. The total expected cost associated with a given choice of fire line is the sum of: the loss or gain of value of the area already burned; the cost of the resources used in the attack; and the expected loss or gain of value beyond the fire line. The latter is the product of the probability that the chosen attack strategy fails to contain the fire and the value of the additional burned area that would result from such a failure. The model allows comparison of the costs of the different choices of fire line, and thus identification of the optimal strategy. A small case study is used to illustrate the procedure.

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Home Ranges and Movements of Elk (Cervus canadensis) Restored to Southern Ontario, Canada

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v130i4.1926 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 130 (4) ◽

pp. 320 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rick Rosatte

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Winter Range ◽

The Social ◽

Cervus Canadensis ◽

Summer Range ◽

Seasonal Basis ◽

Social Units ◽

Winter Feeding

During 2000 and 2001, Elk (Cervus canadensis) were restored to the Bancroft, Ontario area. The objective of this study was to determine the home range and movements of six social units of Elk, 5–12 years after restoration, in an area of about 2500 km2 near Bancroft. Home range and movements were calculated from 40 221 Global Positioning System locations acquired from 56 collared Elk (16 bulls and 40 cows) between 2006 and 2013. Annual home ranges were found to be significantly greater (mean 110.3 km2, standard error [SE] 11.2) for Elk in areas where winter feeding by humans did not occur compared with those (mean 51.0 km2, SE 9.0) where winter feeding was prevalent. Elk in winter feeding areas had smaller ranges in winter than other seasons. On a seasonal basis, home range size was larger for Elk in areas where winter feeding did not occur; mean winter home range for Elk in non-feeding areas was 73.4 km2 (SE34.0) compared with 8.3 km2 (SE 2.6) for Elk in areas where winter feeding occurred. The 20 Elk that were monitored for multiple years exhibited home range fidelity among years. The entire range of all radio-collared Elk within the social groups studied covered 1716.4 km2 during 2006–2013. Average daily movements of Elk in the study arearanged from 1.0 to 2.1 km/day with greatest movements occurring during spring and summer. However, some Elk were capable of moving an average of 5–7km in a 12-h interval. Movements (about 5 km) to winter range occurred during October to December each year. Cows moved to calving areas in May with mean movements of Elk to spring/summer range about 6 km. Cow/calf groups moved to fall ranges by early September with mean movements of about 4 km. During the rut, mean bull movements of 16.0 km to cow groups over 1–5 days occurred in early September. Hunting of Elk during the fall of 2011 and 2012 did not appear to significantly affect the movements and dispersion of Elk in the study area.

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Impact of Increased Copayments on the Discontinuation/Switching Rates of Nonformulary Medications

Journal of Pharmacy Technology ◽

10.1177/875512250502100304 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 137-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kavita V Nair ◽

Robert J Valuck ◽

Richard R Allen ◽

Sonya J Lewis

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Inappropriate Medication ◽

Clear Relationship ◽

Percentage Increase ◽

Pharmacy Benefit ◽

Western Us ◽

Current Medication ◽

Before And After ◽

The Impact ◽

Continuation Rates

Background: Patients with chronic diseases are particularly affected by prescription copayment increases, as they are faced with the decision to switch to formulary alternatives or pay more to stay on their current medication. Objective: To evaluate the impact of increased copayments as a result of a change in formulary status on the continuation rates of nonformulary medications in multitiered pharmacy benefit plans. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with chronic diseases who were part of a health plan in the western US. Individuals were selected if they were taking a medication that was being removed from the health plan's formulary and, thus, experienced increases in their copayments for nonformulary medications (n = 1,244). The time periods before and after the increase in copayments were studied. Adjusting for demographics, chronic comorbidities, medication use, Medicare + Choice status, and percentage increase in copayment for nonformulary medications, Cox regressions were used to assess continuation rates for these drugs. Results: A clear relationship between increasing copayment differentials and continuation rates for nonformulary medications in the period after the copayment increases could not be established. In general, those who experienced higher copayment differentials (50–100%, 100–200%, >200%) were more likely to continue their nonformulary medication than were those who experienced copayment increases of 25–50% and >25%. Conclusions: Individuals confronted with increased copayments often switched their drugs to formulary alternatives. However, a clear relationship could not be established between increasing copayments and continuation behavior. Further research is needed to determine whether these switching behaviors result in inappropriate medication behaviors, such as complete discontinuation of drug therapy due to the increased costs.

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Pilot Study: Does Contamination with Enniatin B and Beauvericin Affect the Antioxidant Capacity of Cereals Commonly Used in Animal Feeding?

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10091835 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1835

Author(s):

Valentina Serra ◽

Giancarlo Salvatori ◽

Grazia Pastorelli

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Capacity ◽

Natural Antioxidants ◽

Before And After ◽

Total Antioxidant ◽

Animal Feeding ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Carry Over ◽

Scientific Attention ◽

Wheat Flours ◽

Larger Sample

Increasing consumption of cereals has been associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases, as they contain phytochemicals that combat oxidative stress. Cereal contamination by the “emerging mycotoxins” beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENs) is a worldwide health problem that has not yet received adequate scientific attention. Their presence in feeds represents a risk for animals and a potential risk for humans because of their carry-over to animal-derived products. This preliminary study aimed to investigate if the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of corn, barley, and wheat flours could be influenced by contamination with increasing levels of BEA and ENN B. The highest TAC value was observed in barley compared with wheat and corn (p < 0.001) before and after contamination. No effect of mycotoxin or mycotoxin level was found, whereas cereal x mycotoxin exhibited a significant effect (p < 0.001), showing a lower TAC value in wheat contaminated by ENN B and in barley contaminated by BEA. In conclusion, barley is confirmed as a source of natural antioxidants with antiradical potentials. Additional studies with a larger sample size are necessary to confirm the obtained results, and investigations of the toxic effects of these emergent mycotoxins on animals and humans should be deepened.

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A century of changing fire management alters ungulate forage in a wildfire-dominated landscape

Forestry An International Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1093/forestry/cpz017 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 92 (5) ◽

pp. 523-537 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kelly M Proffitt ◽

Jesse DeVoe ◽

Kristin Barker ◽

Rebecca Durham ◽

Teagan Hayes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prescribed Fire ◽

Fire History ◽

Management Practices ◽

Fire Management ◽

Forage Quality ◽

Wildfire Management ◽

Winter Range ◽

Forestry Practices ◽

Summer Range ◽

Straightforward Approach

Abstract Forestry practices such as prescribed fire and wildfire management can modify the nutritional resources of ungulates across broad landscapes. To evaluate the influences of fire and forest management on ungulate nutrition, we measured and compared forage quality and abundance among a range of land cover types and fire histories within 3 elk ranges in Montana. We used historical fire data to assess fire-related variations in elk forage from 1900 to 2015. Fire affected summer forage more strongly than winter forage. Between 1900–1990 and 1990–2015, elk summer range burned by wildfire increased 242–1772 per cent, whereas the area on winter range burned by wildfire was low across all decades. Summer forage quality peaked in recently burned forests and decreased as time since burn increased. Summer forage abundance peaked in dry forests burned 6–15 years prior and mesic forests burned within 5 years. Forests recently burned by wildfire had higher summer forage quality and herbaceous abundance than those recently burned by prescribed fire. These results suggest that the nutritional carrying capacity for elk varies temporally with fire history and management practices. Our methods for characterizing nutritional resources provide a relatively straightforward approach for evaluating nutritional adequacy and tracking changes in forage associated with disturbances such as fire.

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Black-Backed Woodpecker Nest Density in the Sierra Nevada, California

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12100364 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 364

Author(s):

Chad T. Hanson ◽

Tonja Y. Chi

Keyword(s):

Sierra Nevada ◽

Bark Beetles ◽

Wildland Fire ◽

Fire Suppression ◽

Small Population ◽

Nest Density ◽

Conifer Forests ◽

Forest Habitat ◽

High Severity ◽

Selection Of

In the western U.S., the black-backed woodpecker has been found to be associated with dense montane conifer forests with high snag densities, typically resulting from moderate- to high-severity wildland fires. However, black-backed woodpeckers are occasionally also detected nesting in unburned forests, raising questions about the type of habitat in which they nest and the potential abundance of such habitat. We conducted intensive black-backed woodpecker nest density surveys in large plots within the middle/upper-montane conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, within general (undisturbed) forests, snag forest habitat from moderate/high-severity wildland fire, and unburned snag forest habitat from drought and native bark beetles. We found black-backed woodpeckers nesting only in the two snag forest conditions, mostly in burned snag forest, and their preferential selection of burned snag forest was statistically significant. No nest was found in general forests. Our spatial analysis indicates that snag forest is rare in the forests of the Sierra Nevada due to fire suppression and logging, raising concerns regarding small population size, which we estimate to be only 461 to 772 pairs in the Sierra Nevada.

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Carry-over effects of resource competition and social environment on aggression

Behavioral Ecology ◽

10.1093/beheco/arz170 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R J Kilgour ◽

D R Norris ◽

A G McAdam

Keyword(s):

Social Environment ◽

Group Composition ◽

Resource Competition ◽

Resource Limitation ◽

Inbred Strains ◽

Homogeneous Groups ◽

The Social ◽

Before And After ◽

Carry Over ◽

Plastic Responses

Abstract Aggressive behavior is common in many species and is often adaptive because it enables individuals to gain access to limited resources. However, aggression is also highly plastic and the degree of plasticity could be influenced by factors such as resource limitation and the social environment. In this study, we examined how the effects of social experience and resource limitation could persist to affect future aggressive interactions. Using naturally inbred strains of Drosophila melanogaster that differ in aggressiveness, we manipulated the level of available resources by varying fly density (two treatments: high and low per capita resources) and group composition by varying strain frequency (five treatments: homogeneous strains, or mixed at 1:3, 1:1 or 3:1 ratios of the more aggressive to less-aggressive strain). For each treatment group, we measured aggression before and after flies were placed through a 4-day period of fixed resources. There was no consistent effect of resource competition on aggression. Instead, changes in aggression depended on resource availability in combination with group composition. In homogeneous groups made up of only one strain, all males became more aggressive following the fixed-resource period, regardless of fly density. In mixed-strain treatments at high density, we observed plastic shifts in aggression of males from both strains, but the direction of plastic responses depended on social composition. Our results show that aggression may not only be influenced by the intensity of previous competitive experiences caused by resource limitation, but also through social effects caused by the composition of the group.

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