scholarly journals Badger territoriality maintained despite disturbance of major road construction

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0242586
Author(s):  
Aoibheann Gaughran ◽  
Enda Mullen ◽  
Teresa MacWhite ◽  
Peter Maher ◽  
David J. Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Road Ecology ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Meles Meles ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Major Road ◽  
Ranging Behaviour ◽  
The Impact

Road ecology has traditionally focused on the impact of in-situ and functional roads on wildlife. However, road construction also poses a major, yet understudied, threat and the implications for key aspects of animal behaviour are unknown. Badgers (Meles meles) have been implicated in the transmission of tuberculosis to cattle. There are concerns that environmental disturbances, including major road construction, can disrupt badger territoriality, promoting the spread of the disease to cattle. To address these knowledge gaps the ranging behaviour of a medium-density Irish badger population was monitored using GPS-tracking collars before, during, and after a major road realignment project that bisected the study area. We estimated badgers’ home range sizes, nightly distances travelled, and the distance and frequency of extra-territorial excursions during each phase of the study and quantified any changes to these parameters. We show that road construction had a very limited effect on ranging behaviour. A small increase in nightly distance during road construction did not translate into an increase in home range size, nor an increase in the distance or frequency of extra-territorial excursions during road construction. In addition, suitable mitigation measures to prevent badger deaths appeared to ensure that normal patterns of ranging behaviour continued once the new road was in place. We recommend that continuous badger-proof fencing be placed along the entire length of new major roads, in combination with appropriately sited underpasses. Our analysis supports the view that road construction did not cause badgers to change their ranging behaviour in ways likely to increase the spread of tuberculosis.

scholarly journals Badger territoriality maintained despite disturbance of major road construction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aoibheann Gaughran ◽  
Enda Mullen ◽  
Teresa MacWhite ◽  
Peter Maher ◽  
David J. Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Road Ecology ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Major Road ◽  
Ranging Behaviour ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTRoad ecology has traditionally focused on the impact of in-situ and functional roads on wildlife. However, road construction also poses a major, yet understudied, threat and any implications for key aspects of animal behaviour are unknown. There are also concerns that environmental disturbances, including major roadworks, can disrupt badger territoriality, promoting the spread of tuberculosis to cattle. To address these knowledge gaps, the ranging behaviour of a medium-density Irish badger population was monitored, using GPS-tracking collars, before, during and after a major road realignment project that bisected the study area. We estimated badgers’ home range sizes, nightly distances travelled and the distance and frequency of extra-territorial excursions during each phase of the study and quantified any changes to these parameters. We show that roadworks had a very limited effect on ranging behaviour. A small increase in nightly distance during the roadworks did not translate into an increase in home range size, nor an increase in the distance or frequency of extra-territorial excursions during the roadworks. In addition, suitable mitigation measures to prevent badger deaths appeared to ensure that normal patterns of ranging behaviour continued once the new road was in place. Our analysis supports the view that road construction did not cause badgers to change their ranging behaviour in ways likely to increase the spread of tuberculosis.

Urban cat (Felis catus) movement and predation activity associated with a wetland reserve in New Zealand

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 574 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Morgan ◽  
C. M. Hansen ◽  
J. G. Ross ◽  
G. J. Hickling ◽  
S. C. Ogilvie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Hunting Activity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prey Items

Context. House cats are increasingly suggested as having major ecological impacts in semiurban environments. Information on the activity of house cats is relatively scarce, especially in habitats such as wetlands. Aims. This study examines the movement and foraging behaviour of house cats living on the periphery of a wetland reserve in Christchurch city, New Zealand. Methods. Twenty-one domestic cats living in a suburban residential area were studied using radiotelemetry to determine home-range size, mean and maximum distances travelled into the adjacent wetland, and the proportion of time spent in the wetland over a 12-month period. Surveys of prey retrieval for 88 cats were also carried out by cat owners over the same 12-month period. Key results. Cat age and the distance of the cat’s home from the periphery of the wetland were highly correlated with cat movement and hunting activity. These movements were not markedly influenced by season or time of day. Younger cats (<6 years of age) living on the periphery of the wetland had larger home-range sizes, moved significantly further into the wetland and spent a significantly greater proportion of time in the wetland. Cats living close to the wetland also brought a greater diversity and a greater total number of prey items to their home-site. Rates of predation were not significantly influenced by sex or whether the cat was wearing a bell. The most common prey items were introduced rodents and birds; however, 172 of 981 prey items were identified as a native common skink. Conclusions.Consequently, cats living in households on the wetland periphery currently pose a predation risk for the wetland species, and the impact of cats on the native skink population warrants further investigation. Implications. This study suggests that domestic cats will exploit wild habitats but that their potential impact will have both positive (predation of introduced pest species) and negative (occasional direct predation) effects on native wildlife.

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.

scholarly journals Home range size, habitat use and nesting success of Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis on agricultural land in northern India

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perwez Iqubal ◽  
Philip J.K. Mcgowan ◽  
John P. Carroll ◽  
Asad R. Rahmani
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Sugar Cane ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Northern India ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
The Impact

Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis is considered Vulnerable to extinction as its native grassland habitat is converted to agricultural land. However, there are virtually no life history data available to allow the impact of these changes on the species to be assessed. Thirteen birds were radio-tracked during the breeding season on agricultural land near Dudwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. The study area was dominated by sugar-cane fields, but also contained other crops and natural wet grassland. Home range size varied from 273 m2 to 2,687 m2 and was significantly correlated with tracking duration. We did not detect significant patterns in overall use of habitats at either the home-range level (P = 0.14) or at the radio-location level (P = 0.13). However, some individual habitats appeared to be used in proportions that differed from random expectations. At the home range level, birds appeared to favour tall sugar-cane and grassland whilst at the individual location level, grassland and wet areas were most used. Radio-tagged birds made six nests, of which only two hatched young. One was in an old sugar-cane field and the other on grassland. Although we did not detect statistical significance, we believe that developing an appropriate management regime for this species is so urgent that the results are sufficient to manage adaptively the species' habitat at least on an experimental scale. These data suggest that a matrix of habitats, including agricultural land, can supply the necessary components to satisfy the various requirements of Swamp Francolin. However, some natural grassland habitat associated with wet areas appears to be critical. The crucial challenge is to make sure that agricultural landscapes have these habitats present in the right proportions and spatial arrangements to support viable populations of Swamp Francolin.

scholarly journals Diel and seasonal patterns in activity and home range size of green turtles on their foraging grounds revealed by extended Fastloc-GPS tracking

2016 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredrik Christiansen ◽  
Nicole Esteban ◽  
Jeanne A. Mortimer ◽  
Antoine M. Dujon ◽  
Graeme C. Hays
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
Green Turtles

Response of eastern pygmy possums, Cercartetus nanus, to selective logging in New South Wales: home range, habitat selection and den use

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Law ◽  
Mark Chidel ◽  
Alf Britton ◽  
Traecey Brassil
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Selective Logging ◽  
Fire Disturbance ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Den Use ◽  
Cercartetus Nanus

Context Selective logging of native forests creates a mosaic of disturbance histories; however, little is known about how different taxa respond to such a mosaic. Aims We followed adaptive-management principles to test logging and burning impacts on eastern pygmy possums, Cercartetus nanus (Geoffroy and Desmarest, 1817), by undertaking a large-scale field experiment that coincided with harvesting. We predicted that home range would increase after logging because of a reduction in resources (food and/or dens) and because hollows suitable for denning would decrease, resulting in greater use of unlogged patches and alternate dens. Methods We radio-tracked C. nanus in a before-and-after logging experiment to investigate home range, habitat selection and den use. We tracked 50 possums, some individuals for a maximum of 8 months, within control, recently logged and regrowth (5 years since logging) sites. Key results Home ranges were variable (0.04–19.5 ha), with males having significantly larger home ranges. We were unable to detect a difference in home-range size between controls and the first year after logging and burning, or regrowth 5 years after logging. Home ranges comprised a mosaic of disturbed and undisturbed areas, and possums did not avoid logged habitat in their home ranges, indicating that logging did not significantly influence habitat selection. We suggest that possums were not sensitive to selective logging and burning because nectar-producing plants are adapted to fire disturbance and because a variety of den sites were used, most commonly in tree hollows and fallen logs, which were commonly left as logging residue. Indeed, possums frequently denned in logged patches, both recently after logging (63% of dens) and in regrowth 5 years after logging (76% of dens). Counts of fallen hollow logs at each site indicated that their density was not reduced by logging, with regrowth sites having the greatest abundance of logs (260 ha–1). Conclusions The mosaic of disturbance created by selective logging operations did not negatively affect home range or den selection of C. nanus. Implications Ecologically sustainable logging practices that include a range of mitigation measures to protect biodiversity can be compatible with the management of threatened species. Assessment of the effectiveness of these methods often will rely on scientific research.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in the Home Ranges of Black Curassow, Crax alector, in French Guiana

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 194008292110261
Author(s):  
Hervé Lormée ◽  
Rachel Berzins ◽  
Vincent Rocheteau ◽  
Fran De Coster ◽  
Thomas Denis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Spatial Relationship ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Range Overlap ◽  
The Impact

Cracidae is the most threatened avian family in the Neotropics, mainly because of habitat destruction, heavy hunting pressure and poaching. In French Guiana, Black Curassows are heavily hunted, although basic knowledge of the ecological and demographical traits of the species remains limited. Such a gap prevents any attempt to assess the impact of hunting and to help stakeholders to develop proposals ensuring hunting sustainability. The spatial relationship between animals and their habitat is important for conservation management, being related to population densities through complex patterns. Here, we report on a radio-tracking study of Black Curassows in tropical primary rainforest, in Nouragues National Reserve, French Guiana. The aims of the study were to estimate home range size and its variation across seasons, and to quantify movement patterns of the birds. We captured and fitted VHF tags to four adults, and tracked them for 10 to 21.5 months. Daily movements were recorded, and home ranges estimated using the Kernel Density method, for two consecutive wet seasons and one dry season. Using 95% and 50% Kernel densities, the average annual home range and core area were 96.3± 32.6 ha (SE) and 22.8 ± 2.8 ha respectively. Home ranges appeared spatially stable over the two years, and overlapped between neighbouring groups. During the dry season, Black Curassows did not migrate but tended to enlarge their home range, with greater daily movements and higher home range overlap. Although additional data are still needed, our results can help to improve the knowledge and management of this poorly studied species.

scholarly journals Impact of Forest Roads on Hydrological Processes

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1201
Author(s):  
Aristeidis Kastridis
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Road Networks ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Hydrological Processes ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Forest Roads ◽  
Forest Road ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Impact

The current review summarizes the knowledge generated by the recently published studies of the last twenty years, in the field of forest road networks, concerning the impact of forest road construction on hydrological processes. The currently applied methodology techniques/practices are discussed, the findings are highlighted and effective mitigation measures to mitigate the impact of forest roads are proposed. Critical for the minimization of the impact of forest roads on overland flow is the significant decrease in road surface runoff and overland flow velocity. The decrease in runoff energy reduces the detachment of soil particles and transportation in streams. The disturbances of forest roads in logging areas should be limited to decrease soil erosion. Additionally, aiming to minimize sediment transportation into the streams, it is very important to reduce the connectivity between the forest roads (or skid trails) and streams. The positive role of vegetation and organic matter on the road prism, naturally/technically established riparian buffers along the streams, and the use of appropriate bioengineering designs for each area significantly decrease the runoff generation and sedimentation. From a construction point of view, the decrease in short and long-term forest road-related impact could be achieved by reducing the depth of excavations and the use of soil compaction limiting technology during forest works. The road network design should be more efficient, avoiding hydrologically active zero-order basins. Techniques that minimize the length and connectivity among skid trails, unpaved roads and streams are highly crucial. Broad-based dips, immediate revegetation and outsloping of the road base are considered good road construction practices. Research should be focused on the hydrologic behavior of forest road networks and on the impact at the watershed scale, the degree of connectivity, utilizing plenty of qualitative field data, especially during intense rainfall events, which has been proven to exacerbate the runoff and sediment generation and transportation into the stream networks.

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