scholarly journals Spatial scales of marine conservation management for breeding seabirds

Author(s):  
Steffen Oppel

Knowing the spatial scales at which effective management can be implemented is fundamental for conservation planning. This is especially important for mobile species, which can be exposed to threats across large areas, but the space use requirements of different species can vary to an extent that might render some management approaches inefficient. Here the space use patterns of seabirds were examined to provide guidance on whether conservation management approaches should be tailored for taxonomic groups with different movement characteristics. Seabird tracking data were synthesised from 5419 adult breeding individuals of 52 species in ten families that were collected in the Atlantic Ocean basin between 1998 and 2017. Two key aspects of spatial distribution were quantified, namely how far seabirds ranged from their colony, and to what extent individuals from the same colony used the same areas at sea. There was evidence for substantial differences in patterns of space-use among the ten studied seabird families, indicating that several alternative conservation management approaches are needed. Several species exhibited large foraging ranges and little aggregation at sea, indicating that area-based conservation solutions would have to be extremely large to adequately protect such species. The results highlight that short-ranging and aggregating species such as cormorants, auks, some penguins, and gulls would benefit from conservation approaches at relatively small spatial scales during their breeding season. However, improved regulation of fisheries, bycatch, pollution and other threats over large spatial scales will be needed for wide-ranging and dispersed species such as albatrosses, petrels, storm petrels and frigatebirds.

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1307-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Brodeur ◽  
Jean-Pierre Ouellet ◽  
Réhaume Courtois ◽  
Daniel Fortin

Extensive logging of the boreal forest rejuvenates landscapes once dominated by old-growth stands. As black bear ( Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) fitness and behavior are known to be primarily related to the abundance of shade-intolerant soft mast species in northern forests, we hypothesized that logging will influence habitat and space use patterns of black bears. We used VHF telemetry on 12 female black bears in the Réserve faunique des Laurentides (Quebec, Canada) to investigate seasonal patterns of habitat selection in an exploited heterogeneous boreal landscape at different spatial scales. Habitat characterization based on seven forest cover types allowed us to compare the productivity of key forage species in various post-logging age classes. Regenerating stands (6–20 years old) had the uppermost ground vegetation cover, providing both the highest density and a high biomass of berries. Black bears preferred regenerating stands (6–20 years old) and avoided mature coniferous forests inside their home range. Home-range size was inversely related to the proportion of regenerating stands (6–20 years old). Intensive logging influenced black bear habitat and space use patterns, and presumably their population dynamics. An increase in the habitat quality of an opportunistic predator poses great concern for conservation, especially for forest-dwelling woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)).


Marine Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 37-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Oppel ◽  
Mark Bolton ◽  
Ana P.B. Carneiro ◽  
Maria P. Dias ◽  
Jonathan A. Green ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1935) ◽  
pp. 20201462
Author(s):  
Viraj R. Torsekar ◽  
Maria Thaker

Predation risk is a strong driver of prey distribution and movement. However, fitness-influencing behaviours, such as mating, can alter risk and influence predator–prey space-use dynamics. In tree crickets, Oecanthus henryi , mate searching involves acoustic signalling by immobile males and phonotactic movement by females. Space-use patterns in tree crickets relative to their primary predators, green lynx spiders ( Peucetia viridans ), should therefore depend on their current mate-searching state; whether males are calling or non-calling and whether females are phonotactic or non-phonotactic. We first measured the degree of spatial anchoring of crickets to specific bushes in the field and determined whether that influenced the probability of broad-scale spatial overlap with spiders. In the absence of spiders, all crickets, independent of sex or male calling status, were found to be spatially anchored to specific types of bushes and not uniformly distributed on the landscape. At the broad spatial scale, spiders were more likely to be found on bushes with female crickets and, to a lesser degree, calling male crickets. At a finer spatial scale within a bush, movement strategies of crickets not only varied depending on the presence or absence of a spider, but also on their current mate-searching state. Phonotactic females showed clear predator avoidance, whereas calling and non-calling males moved towards the spider instead of away, similar to predator inspection behaviour seen in many taxa. As the strongly selected sex, males are more likely to undertake risky mate-searching activities, which includes inspection of predator positions. Overall, we found that all crickets were predictably anchored at the landscape scale, but their sex and mate-seeking behaviour influenced the degree of overlap with predators and their antipredator movement strategies. Reproductive strategies within a prey species, therefore, can alter predator–prey space race at multiple spatial scales.


2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1550) ◽  
pp. 2221-2231 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Kie ◽  
Jason Matthiopoulos ◽  
John Fieberg ◽  
Roger A. Powell ◽  
Francesca Cagnacci ◽  
...  

Recent advances in animal tracking and telemetry technology have allowed the collection of location data at an ever-increasing rate and accuracy, and these advances have been accompanied by the development of new methods of data analysis for portraying space use, home ranges and utilization distributions. New statistical approaches include data-intensive techniques such as kriging and nonlinear generalized regression models for habitat use. In addition, mechanistic home-range models, derived from models of animal movement behaviour, promise to offer new insights into how home ranges emerge as the result of specific patterns of movements by individuals in response to their environment. Traditional methods such as kernel density estimators are likely to remain popular because of their ease of use. Large datasets make it possible to apply these methods over relatively short periods of time such as weeks or months, and these estimates may be analysed using mixed effects models, offering another approach to studying temporal variation in space-use patterns. Although new technologies open new avenues in ecological research, our knowledge of why animals use space in the ways we observe will only advance by researchers using these new technologies and asking new and innovative questions about the empirical patterns they observe.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105489
Author(s):  
Mitchell J. Rider ◽  
Oliver S. Kirsebom ◽  
Austin J. Gallagher ◽  
Erica Staaterman ◽  
Jerald S. Ault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila D. Ritter ◽  
Søren Faurby ◽  
Dominic J. Bennett ◽  
Luciano N. Naka ◽  
Hans ter Steege ◽  
...  

AbstractMost knowledge on biodiversity derives from the study of charismatic macro-organisms, such as birds and trees. However, the diversity of micro-organisms constitutes the majority of all life forms on Earth. Here, we ask if the patterns of richness inferred for macro-organisms are similar for micro-organisms. For this, we barcoded samples of soil, litter and insects from four localities on a west-to-east transect across Amazonia. We quantified richness as Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in those samples using three molecular markers. We then compared OTU richness with species richness of two relatively well-studied organism groups in Amazonia: trees and birds. We find that OTU richness shows a declining west-to-east diversity gradient that is in agreement with the species richness patterns documented here and previously for birds and trees. These results suggest that most taxonomic groups respond to the same overall diversity gradients at large spatial scales. However, our results show a different pattern of richness in relation to habitat types, suggesting that the idiosyncrasies of each taxonomic group and peculiarities of the local environment frequently override large-scale diversity gradients. Our findings caution against using the diversity distribution of one taxonomic group as an indication of patterns of richness across all groups.


2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Danancher ◽  
Jacques Labonne ◽  
Roger Pradel ◽  
Philippe Gaudin

In this study, capture–mark–recapture statistics were applied to spatial recapture histories to assess the intensity of fish restricted movements along the longitudinal axis of a river using a previously described model for survival and recruitment analysis. Adapting the stopover estimation method to spatial data, movement probabilities were then used to estimate space used at the population scale. This capture–recapture estimates of space used in streams (CRESUS) method may thus be seen as a complementary tool of classic home range methods and should be used to explore the consequence of behavioural strategies on population mechanisms. We propose a methodological example where movements and space use strategies of a Zingel asper (percid) population in the Beaume River (Ardèche, France) were directly estimated at the population scale taking account of the effects of different biotic or abiotic factors. Results showed differences in Z. asper space use patterns among sexes, periods of biological cycle (growing and spawning period), and types of mesohabitat. Downstream movements were more important during the spawning period and by the way the riffle was more intensively used.


2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1501-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J Pyper ◽  
Franz J Mueter ◽  
Randall M Peterman ◽  
David J Blackbourn ◽  
Chris C Wood

We examined spatial patterns of covariation in indices of survival rate (residuals from the best-fit stock- recruitment curve) across four decades among 43 wild pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) stocks from 14 geographical regions in Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. We found strong evidence of positive covariation among stocks within each region and between certain adjacent regions (e.g., correlations from 0.3 to 0.7) but no evidence of covariation between stocks of distant regions (e.g., separated by 1000 km or more). This suggests that important environmental processes affecting temporal variation in survival rates of pink salmon from spawners to recruits operate at regional spatial scales rather than at the larger ocean basin scale. Based on limited fry abundance data, we found that this covariation in spawner-to-recruit survival rates may be strongly influenced by marine processes.


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