scholarly journals Observation of an Eastern Wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon) Caching Food in a Sphagnum Bog in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 351
Author(s):  
Patrick D Moldowan ◽  
Hugo Kitching
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Food Storage ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Food Caching ◽  
Eastern Wolf ◽  
Sphagnum Bog ◽  
Pup Mortality ◽  
Provincial Park

We report summer caching of a partial carcass of a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn by an Eastern Wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon) in a Sphagnum bog in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The microhabitat conditions in bogs (i.e., low temperature, acidity, and organochemical compounds) likely inhibit food spoilage, making bogs potentially important sites for food caching. Wolves in Algonquin Park experience low summer food availability and high pup mortality from starvation. Caches likely serve as necessary reserve food stores for adults and pups. Recent research has shown that wetland habitats are important den and rendezvous sites for Algonquin Eastern Wolves based on prey availability and, we suggest, perhaps for food storage and accessibility. This caching behaviour was recorded on video. We recommend that future research investigate Eastern Wolf selection of food-caching sites, as a complement to other spatial ecology studies.

Foraging modes of carnivorous plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron M. Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Optimal Foraging Theory ◽  
Foraging Theory ◽  
Carnivorous Plants ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Single Location ◽  
Foraging Modes

Abstract Carnivorous plants are pure sit-and-wait predators: they remain rooted to a single location and depend on the abundance and movement of their prey to obtain nutrients required for growth and reproduction. Yet carnivorous plants exhibit phenotypically plastic responses to prey availability that parallel those of non-carnivorous plants to changes in light levels or soil-nutrient concentrations. The latter have been considered to be foraging behaviors, but the former have not. Here, I review aspects of foraging theory that can be profitably applied to carnivorous plants considered as sit-and-wait predators. A discussion of different strategies by which carnivorous plants attract, capture, kill, and digest prey, and subsequently acquire nutrients from them suggests that optimal foraging theory can be applied to carnivorous plants as easily as it has been applied to animals. Carnivorous plants can vary their production, placement, and types of traps; switch between capturing nutrients from leaf-derived traps and roots; temporarily activate traps in response to external cues; or cease trap production altogether. Future research on foraging strategies by carnivorous plants will yield new insights into the physiology and ecology of what Darwin called “the most wonderful plants in the world”. At the same time, inclusion of carnivorous plants into models of animal foraging behavior could lead to the development of a more general and taxonomically inclusive foraging theory.

scholarly journals Characterizing the food environment: pitfalls and future directions

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1238-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Vernez Moudon ◽  
Adam Drewnowski ◽  
Glen E Duncan ◽  
Philip M Hurvitz ◽  
Brian E Saelens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Local Health ◽  
King County ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Food Stores

AbstractObjectiveTo assess a county population's exposure to different types of food sources reported to affect both diet quality and obesity rates.DesignFood permit records obtained from the local health department served to establish the full census of food stores and restaurants. Employing prior categorization schemes which classified the relative healthfulness of food sources based on establishment type (i.e. supermarkets v. convenience stores, or full-service v. fast-food restaurants), food establishments were assigned to the healthy, unhealthy or undetermined groups.SettingKing County, WA, USA.SubjectsFull census of food sources.ResultsAccording to all categorization schemes, most food establishments in King County fell into the unhealthy and undetermined groups. Use of the food permit data showed that large stores, which included supermarkets as healthy food establishments, contained a sizeable number of bakery/delis, fish/meat, ethnic and standard quick-service restaurants and coffee shops, all food sources that, when housed in a separate venue or owned by a different business establishment, were classified as either unhealthy or of undetermined value to health.ConclusionsTo fully assess the potential health effects of exposure to the extant food environment, future research would need to establish the health value of foods in many such common establishments as individually owned grocery stores and ethnic food stores and restaurants. Within-venue exposure to foods should also be investigated.

scholarly journals Harbour Seals: Population Structure, Status, and Threats in a Rapidly Changing Environment

Oceans ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-63
Author(s):  
Marie-Anne Blanchet ◽  
Cécile Vincent ◽  
Jamie N. Womble ◽  
Sheanna M. Steingass ◽  
Geneviève Desportes
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Run Off ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Harbour Seals ◽  
Pinniped Species

The harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) is the world’s most widely distributed pinniped species ranging from temperate to Arctic regions (30–78.5° N in the Atlantic, 28–61.2° N in the Pacific), but no detailed overview of the species status exists. The aims of this review are to (i) provide current information on the genetic structure, population status, and threats; (ii) review potential consequences of a changing climate; and (iii) identify knowledge gaps to guide future research and monitoring. Although the species is globally abundant, wide differences exist across the species’ broad range. As climate warms, populations at the edges of the species’ distributional range are likely to be more affected. The primary climate-related drivers include: (i) changes in weather patterns, which can affect thermoregulation; (ii) decrease in availability of haul-out substrates; (iii) large-scale changes in prey availability and inter-specific competition; (iv) shifts in the range of pathogens; (v) increase in temperature favouring the biotransformation of contaminants; and (vi) increased exposure to pollutant from increased freshwater run-off. Multiple anthropogenic stressors may collectively impact some populations. Coordinated monitoring efforts across and within regions is needed. This would allow for a spatially explicit management approach including population-specific responses to known stressors.

scholarly journals Eastern Baltic cod recruitment revisited—dynamics and impacting factors

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedrich W. Köster ◽  
Bastian Huwer ◽  
Hans-Harald Hinrichsen ◽  
Viola Neumann ◽  
Andrei Makarchouk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Feeding ◽  
Spawning Areas ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Eastern Baltic ◽  
Baltic Cod

The Eastern Baltic cod abundance started rapidly to increase in the mid-2000s as evidenced by analytical stock assessments, due to increased recruitment and declining fishing mortality. Since 2014, the analytical stock assessment is not available, leaving the present stock status unclear and casting doubts about the magnitude of the recent increase in recruitment. Earlier studies identified main factors impacting on cod reproductive success to be related to the loss of two out of three spawning areas in the 1980s caused by lack of major Baltic inflows with a concurrent reduction in salinity and oxygen. Other important factors include prey availability for first-feeding larvae, egg predation by sprat and herring and cannibalism on juveniles, all in one way or the other related to the prevailing hydrographic conditions. These factors cannot explain increased reproductive success in the last decade, as the period was characterized by an absence of large-scale Baltic inflows since 2003 and persistent anoxic conditions in the bottom water of the deep Baltic basins. This questions the perception of the increased recruitment in later years and challenges our present understanding of cod recruitment dynamics in the Baltic Sea. In this contribution, we review evidence from the recent literature supplemented by information from latest research cruises to elucidate whether cod reproductive success indeed has increased during the last decade, and we suggest the key processes responsible for the recent dynamics in cod recruitment and outline directions for future research.

scholarly journals Attachment and performance of Argos satellite tracking devices fitted to black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus spp.)

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Groom ◽  
Kris Warren ◽  
Anna Le Souef ◽  
Rick Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Retention Time ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Spatial Environment ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Tracking Devices ◽  
The Impact

Context Studying interactions between a wildlife species and its spatial environment can enable a deeper understanding of its ecology. Studies of spatial ecology are generally undertaken by attaching tracking devices to selected individuals and following their movements. Highly mobile species, such as black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus spp.), that occupy habitats with patchy resources are ideal candidates. The powerful beak and chewing habits of black cockatoos make it difficult to successfully attach tracking devices to them. Aims We developed a safe technique for attaching tracking devices to black cockatoos and assessed the impact of the tracking devices, as well as their performance in relation to battery life, retention time and accuracy of location fixes. Methods We describe a technique for attaching Telonics (Mesa, AZ, USA) Argos Avian Transmitter TAV 2617 tracking devices to the two central tail feathers of black cockatoos. Key results Of 26 tracking devices fitted (24 to Carnaby’s cockatoos, C. latirostris; two to Baudin’s cockatoos, C. baudinii), 20 exhibited longer retention time than the nominal battery life. One tracking device was chewed until it was non-functional before release and two were presumed chewed after release because their tracking devices failed prematurely. There was no evidence that the tracking devices inhibited the flight capability of cockatoos. The performance of the Argos tracking devices exceeded expectations with regard to retention times, battery life and overall accuracy of location fixes. The tracking devices enabled detection of instances of rapid long-distance movements, including one bird that travelled 70 km between night roosts while migrating. Most study birds (68%) remained within 50 km of their release sites while monitored. Conclusion The tracking devices were a suitable choice for black cockatoos and for the purpose of this study. They posed minimal snag risk, were of suitable dimensions for tail attachment and they enabled data to be collected even if birds dispersed long distances. The main limitations that must be considered when assessing their suitability for future research projects are the errors associated with location fixes, limited retention time in relation to moulting of tail feathers and limited battery life. Implications The development of a method for successfully attaching tracking devices to black cockatoos opens the possibility to study aspects of the ecology of black cockatoos and other highly mobile species that was not previously possible.

scholarly journals Energyscapes and prey fields shape a North Atlantic seabird wintering hotspot under climate change

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 171883 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Amélineau ◽  
J. Fort ◽  
P. D. Mathewson ◽  
D. C. Speirs ◽  
N. Courbin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Calanus Finmarchicus ◽  
Energy Requirements ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Surface Distribution ◽  
Local Climate

There is an urgent need for a better understanding of animal migratory ecology under the influence of climate change. Most current analyses require long-term monitoring of populations on the move, and shorter-term approaches are needed. Here, we analysed the ecological drivers of seabird migration within the framework of the energyscape concept, which we defined as the variations in the energy requirements of an organism across geographical space as a function of environmental conditions. We compared the winter location of seabirds with their modelled energy requirements and prey fields throughout the North Atlantic. Across six winters, we tracked the migration of 94 little auks ( Alle alle ), a key sentinel Arctic species, between their East Greenland breeding site and wintering areas off Newfoundland. Winter energyscapes were modelled with Niche Mapper™, a mechanistic tool which takes into account local climate and bird ecophysiology. Subsequently, we used a resource selection function to explain seabird distributions through modelled energyscapes and winter surface distribution of one of their main prey, Calanus finmarchicus . Finally, future energyscapes were calculated according to IPCC climate change scenarios. We found that little auks targeted areas with high prey densities and moderately elevated energyscapes. Predicted energyscapes for 2050 and 2095 showed a decrease in winter energy requirements under the high emission scenario, which may be beneficial if prey availability is maintained. Overall, our study demonstrates the great potential of the energyscape concept for the study of animal spatial ecology, in particular in the context of global change.

scholarly journals Virus evolution and transmission in an ever more connected world

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1821) ◽  
pp. 20142878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver G. Pybus ◽  
Andrew J. Tatem ◽  
Philippe Lemey
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Virus Evolution ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Computational Techniques ◽  
Emerging Viruses

The frequency and global impact of infectious disease outbreaks, particularly those caused by emerging viruses, demonstrate the need for a better understanding of how spatial ecology and pathogen evolution jointly shape epidemic dynamics. Advances in computational techniques and the increasing availability of genetic and geospatial data are helping to address this problem, particularly when both information sources are combined. Here, we review research at the intersection of evolutionary biology, human geography and epidemiology that is working towards an integrated view of spatial incidence, host mobility and viral genetic diversity. We first discuss how empirical studies have combined viral spatial and genetic data, focusing particularly on the contribution of evolutionary analyses to epidemiology and disease control. Second, we explore the interplay between virus evolution and global dispersal in more depth for two pathogens: human influenza A virus and chikungunya virus. We discuss the opportunities for future research arising from new analyses of human transportation and trade networks, as well as the associated challenges in accessing and sharing relevant spatial and genetic data.

EPS Mid-Career Award 2013: Ways of thinking: From crows to children and back again

2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola S. Clayton
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Physical Problem ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Mental Time Travel ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Food Caching ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ways Of Thinking ◽  
Complex Forms

This article reviews some of the recent work on the remarkable cognitive capacities of food-caching corvids. The focus will be on their ability to think about other minds and other times, and tool-using tests of physical problem solving. Research on developmental cognition suggests that young children do not pass similar tests until they are at least four years of age in the case of the social cognition experiments, and eight years of age in the case of the tasks that tap into physical cognition. This developmental trajectory seems surprising. Intuitively, one might have thought that the social and planning tasks required more complex forms of cognitive process, namely Mental Time Travel and Theory of Mind. Perhaps the fact that children pass these tasks earlier than the physical problem-solving tasks is a reflection of cultural influences. Future research will hope to identify these cognitive milestones by starting to develop tasks that might go some way towards understanding the mechanisms underlying these abilities in both children and corvids, to explore similarities and differences in their ways of thinking.

scholarly journals A GENETIC ASSESSMENT OF THE EASTERN WOLF (CANIS LYCAON) IN ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK

2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya K. Grewal ◽  
PaulJ. Wilson ◽  
Tabitha K. Kung ◽  
Karmi Shami ◽  
Mary T. Theberge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Wolf ◽  
Canis Lycaon ◽  
Genetic Assessment ◽  
Provincial Park

scholarly journals A critical review of habitat use by feral cats and key directions for future research and management

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim S. Doherty ◽  
Andrew J. Bengsen ◽  
Robert A. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
The Impact

Feral cats (Felis catus) have a wide global distribution and cause significant damage to native fauna. Reducing their impacts requires an understanding of how they use habitat and which parts of the landscape should be the focus of management. We reviewed 27 experimental and observational studies conducted around the world over the last 35 years that aimed to examine habitat use by feral and unowned cats. Our aims were to: (1) summarise the current body of literature on habitat use by feral and unowned cats in the context of applicable ecological theory (i.e. habitat selection, foraging theory); (2) develop testable hypotheses to help fill important knowledge gaps in the current body of knowledge on this topic; and (3) build a conceptual framework that will guide the activities of researchers and managers in reducing feral cat impacts. We found that feral cats exploit a diverse range of habitats including arid deserts, shrublands and grasslands, fragmented agricultural landscapes, urban areas, glacial valleys, equatorial to sub-Antarctic islands and a range of forest and woodland types. Factors invoked to explain habitat use by cats included prey availability, predation/competition, shelter availability and human resource subsidies, but the strength of evidence used to support these assertions was low, with most studies being observational or correlative. We therefore provide a list of key directions that will assist conservation managers and researchers in better understanding and ameliorating the impact of feral cats at a scale appropriate for useful management and research. Future studies will benefit from employing an experimental approach and collecting data on the relative abundance and activity of prey and other predators. This might include landscape-scale experiments where the densities of predators, prey or competitors are manipulated and then the response in cat habitat use is measured. Effective management of feral cat populations could target high-use areas, such as linear features and structurally complex habitat. Since our review shows often-divergent outcomes in the use of the same habitat components and vegetation types worldwide, local knowledge and active monitoring of management actions is essential when deciding on control programs.

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