Analysis of feral pig (Sus scrofa) movement in a Hawaiian forest ecosystem using GPS satellite collars

The ecosystem altering impacts of feral pigs have been widely documented around the world. However, a general framework for their control and management has been lacking, especially in island ecosystems. One reason for this lack of management is that we have little knowledge of how pigs move through different island ecosystems, especially ones that are topographically challenging such as Hawai‛i. With recent advances in telemetry and movement modeling, it is now becoming practical to understand where these large introduced animals are moving and how they are using habitat. Hence, the primary goal of this study is to understand feral pig movement in terms of terrain, slope restrictions, and distance traveled beyond a natal site, within an island forested landscape. Based upon this goal, the objectives were to (1) assess different methods of time-series analysis in terms of animal movement and home range, and (2) use the information to inform wildlife management and policy. In 2008, a total of 36 feral pigs were collared with Global Positioning System (GPS) units across four different field sites on three Hawaiian Islands (Maui, Molokai, and Kauai) and tracked for an average of 60 +/- 10 days. Of the 36 collared animals, only four could be used for analysis due to various technological failures. Using three different movement modeling approaches (Brownian Bridge, minimum convex polygon, and the kernel density estimator), we found that feral pigs, within the heterogeneous landscape of Hawaiian watersheds have a spatial recognition limit or ecological neighborhood of between 1.65 and 2 km. All three methods indicated a slight variation of individual home range estimates. These results demonstrated that pigs move less in heterogeneous and heavily vegetated ecosystems. Even under the most conservative estimate, pigs moved 0.2 km/day. Considering that feral pigs disperse exotic plants and increase nutrient loading of streams, our results indicate that even a small abundance of pigs have a very large impact on the native ecosystems of Hawaii, due to their concentration around a natal site or resource center. Based upon this work, we suggest that managers must increase measures to limit habitat connectivity, such as perimeter fences and trapping along remote roadways that are used as feral pig dispersal mechanisms

Characteristics and Distribution of Live-Stock Losses Caused by Wild Carnivores in Maasai Steppe of Northern Tanzania

Agricultural development accelerates the loss of habitat for many wildlife species and brings humans and animals in close proximity, resulting in increased human–wildlife conflict. In Africa, such conflicts contribute to carnivore population declines in the form of human retaliation for livestock depredation. However, little knowledge exists about when and where carnivores attack livestock. Given this need, our objectives were to (1) understand the spatial and temporal variation of human–carnivore conflict and (2) identify conflict-prone areas. We addressed these objectives in 18 Tanzanian villages of the Maasai Steppe using livestock depredation data on lions (Panthera leo), spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and leopards (Panthera pardus) from 2004 to 2007. Over the 4-year period, 1,042 carnivore attacks occurred on livestock, with \u3e50% due to hyenas; shoats (goats and sheep) were the most commonly depredated livestock. Livestock depredation was unevenly distributed across villages. About 39% of all recorded attacks occurred in Selela, followed by Emboreet (16%), and Loiborsoit (11%), while Esilalei, Oltukai, and Engaruka all had \u3e5% of all attacks. Villages wit

Cross-Sectional Association of \u3ci\u3eToxoplasma gondii\u3c/i\u3e Exposure with BMI and Diet in US Adults

Toxoplasmosis gondii exposure has been linked to increased impulsivity and risky behaviors, which has implications for eating behavior. Impulsivity and risk tolerance is known to be related with worse diets and a higher chance of obesity. There is little known, however, about the independent link between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) exposure and diet-related outcomes. Using linear and quantile regression, we estimated the relationship between T. gondii exposure and BMI, total energy intake (kcal), and diet quality as measured by the Health Eating Index-2015 (HEI) among 9,853 adults from the 2009–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Previous studies have shown different behavioral responses to T. gondii infection among males and females, and socioeconomic factors are also likely to be important as both T. gondii and poor diet are more prevalent among U.S. populations in poverty. We therefore measured the associations between T. gondii and diet-related outcomes separately for men and women and for respondents in poverty. Among females \u3c 200% of the federal poverty level Toxoplasmosis gondii exposure was associated with a higher BMI by 2.0 units (95% CI [0.22, 3.83]) at median BMI and a lower HEI by 5.05 units (95% CI [-7.87, -2.24]) at the 25th percentile of HEI. Stronger associations were found at higher levels of BMI and worse diet quality among females. No associations were found among males. Through a detailed investigation of mechanisms, we were able to rule out T. gondii exposure from cat ownership, differing amounts of meat, and drinking water source as potential confounding factors; environmental exposure to T. gondii as well as changes in human behavior due to parasitic infection remain primary mechanisms

Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 9. Capra hircus, the Feral Goat (Mammalia: Bovidae)

Domestic goats, Capra hircus, were intentionally introduced to numerous oceanic islands beginning in the sixteenth century. The remarkable ability of C. hircus to survive in a variety of conditions has enabled this animal to become feral and impact native ecosystems on islands throughout the world. Direct ecological impacts include consumption and trampling of native plants, leading to plant community modification and transformation of ecosystem structure. Although the negative impacts of feral goats are well known and effective management strategies have been developed to control this invasive species, large populations persist on many islands. This review summarizes impacts of feral goats on Pacific island ecosystems and management strategies available to control this invasive species

Identifying people’s most preferred management technique for feral cats in Hawaii

Feral cats (Felis catus) are abundant in many parts of the world and pose a threat to native wildlife. Human–wildlife conflicts regarding how feral cats should be managed have increased recently. In Hawaii, previous research has revealed that most residents would like to see the feral cat abundance reduced, but opinions differ regarding which techniques are acceptable for achieving this. This paper describes an analytical hierarchy process that combines rankings of decision criteria by Hawaii’s residents with expert knowledge of the costs and benefits associated with 7 techniques (live-capture and adoption, live-capture and lethal injection, live-capture and lethal gunshot, trap-neuter-release [TNR]), lethal traps, predatorproof fence, and sharpshooter) for reducing feral cat abundance. We used a state-wide survey with 1,369 respondents and in-person surveys with 11 wildlife professionals to gather data for the model. Inconsistency values were below 0.1 for data from both the state-wide survey and the survey of wildlife professionals. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the model was not sensitive to changes in the public’s ranking of the decision criteria, because when data were averaged all decision criteria became equally important. The final ranking of the management techniques was dominated by the costs and benefits of each technique. Lethal traps were ranked as the best technique, and TNR was ranked as the worst technique

Opportunities and challenges for big data ornithology

Recent advancements in information technology and data acquisition have created both new research opportunities and new challenges for using big data in ornithology. We provide an overview of the past, present, and future of big data in ornithology, and explore the rewards and risks associated with their application. Structured data resources (e.g., North American Breeding Bird Survey) continue to play an important role in advancing our understanding of bird population ecology, and the recent advent of semistructured (e.g., eBird) and unstructured (e.g., weather surveillance radar) big data resources has promoted the development of new empirical perspectives that are generating novel insights. For example, big data have been used to study and model bird diversity and distributions across space and time, explore the patterns and determinants of broad-scale migration strategies, and examine the dynamics and mechanisms associated with geographic and phenological responses to global change. The application of big data also holds a number of challenges wherein high data volume and dimensionality can result in noise accumulation, spurious correlations, and incidental endogeneity. In total, big data resources continue to add empirical breadth and detail to ornithology, often at very broad spatial extents, but how the challenges underlying this approach can best be mitigated to maximize inferential quality and rigor needs to be carefully considered. Los avances recientes en la tecnolog´ıa de la informaci ´on y la adquisici ´on de datos han creado tanto nuevas oportunidades de investigaci ´on como desaf´ıos para el uso de datos masivos (big data) en ornitolog´ıa. Brindamos una visi ´on general del pasado, presente y futuro de los datos masivos en ornitolog´ıa y exploramos las recompensas y desaf´ıos asociados a su aplicaci ´ on. Los recursos de datos estructurados (e.g., Muestreo de Aves Reproductivas de Am´erica del Norte) siguen jugando un rol importante en el avance de nuestro entendimiento de la ecolog´ıa de poblaciones de las aves, y el advenimiento reciente de datos masivos semi-estructurados (e.g., eBird) y desestructurados (e.g., radar de vigilancia clima´tica) han promovido el desarrollo de nuevas perspectivas emp´ıricas que esta´n generando miradas novedosas. Por ejemplo, los datos masivos han sido usados para estudiar y modelar la diversidad y distribuci ´on de las aves a trav´es del tiempo y del espacio, explorar los patrones y los determinantes de las estrategias de migraci ´on a gran escala, y examinar las dina´micas y los mecanismos asociados con las respuestas geogra´ficas y fenol ´ ogicas al cambio global. La aplicaci ´on de datos masivos tambi´en contiene una serie de desaf´ıos donde el gran volumen de datos y la dimensionalidad pueden generar una acumulaci ´on de ruido, correlaciones espurias y endogeneidad incidental. En total, los recursos de datos masivos contin ´uan agregando amplitud y detalle emp´ırico a la ornitolog´ıa, usualmente a escalas espaciales muy amplias, pero necesita considerarse cuidadosamente c ´omo los desaf´ıos que subyacen este enfoque pueden ser mitigados del mejor modo para maximizar su calidad inferencial y rigor

Impacts of Red Imported Fire Ants on Northern Bobwhite Nest Survival

Invasive species are a large management issue because of extensive environmental and economic damage. The red imported fire ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta) is an invasive species of growing concern in wildlife management in the United States because of its increasing distribution, difficulty to suppress, and aggressive predation on native invertebrates, herpetofauna, birds, and small mammals. Managers of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) have questioned the direct impact of RIFA on bobwhite nest success, particularly the factors that might influence the level of nest predation. We hypothesized that RIFA predation on northern bobwhite would vary by location and correlate with drier weather conditions. To test our hypothesis we analyzed bobwhite nest data gathered from 3 properties in the southeastern United States. The nest data are part of a larger research effort on bobwhites, collected by Tall Timbers Research Station and the Albany Quail Project using radiotelemetry from 1992 to 2015. Over these 23 years we tracked bobwhites and located nests (n = 3,207) daily to determine nest fate (success or failure) based on field sign and evidence attributed to specific causes of mortality. We used the nest-survival model in Program MARK to estimate nest survival. Average nest survival varied annually for the Albany and Tall Timbers study areas, respectively. The overall effect of RIFAs on nest survival was generally small, with an average annual loss in Albany of 5.13% (range = 0–15.59%) and 2.17% in Tall Timbers (range = 0–5.83%), but in some years was as high as 15.6%. Greater losses occurred late in the breeding season when it was typically drier and the loss rate in general was higher on the drier of the 2 study sites. Despite the relatively small direct impact on nesting success demonstrated, indirect effects of RIFAs on bobwhite populations are poorly understood at present. Quantifying the influence of indirect factors, such as soil type and habitat disturbance, on RIFA abundance and the subsequent impact on bobwhites, will provide additional insight to the ecological interaction with a highly pervasive and expanding invasive species and help inform management options

Community Attitudes and Practices of Urban Residents Regarding Predation by Pet Cats on Wildlife: An International Comparison

International differences in practices and attitudes regarding pet cats\u27 interactions with wildlife were assessed by surveying citizens from at least two cities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, China and Japan. Predictions tested were: (i) cat owners would agree less than non-cat owners that cats might threaten wildlife, (ii) cat owners value wildlife less than non-cat owners, (iii) cat owners are less accepting of cat legislation/restrictions than non-owners, and (iv) respondents from regions with high endemic biodiversity (Australia, New Zealand, China and the USA state of Hawaii) would be most concerned about pet cats threatening wildlife. Everywhere non-owners were more likely than owners to agree that pet cats killing wildlife were a problem in cities, towns and rural areas. Agreement amongst nonowners was highest in Australia (95%) and New Zealand (78%) and lowest in the UK (38%). Irrespective of ownership, over 85% of respondents from all countries except China (65%) valued wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas. Non-owners advocated cat legislation more strongly than owners except in Japan. Australian non-owners were the most supportive (88%), followed by Chinese non-owners (80%) and Japanese owners (79.5%). The UK was least supportive (non-owners 43%, owners 25%). Many Australian (62%), New Zealand (51%) and Chinese owners (42%) agreed that pet cats killing wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas was a problem, while Hawaiian owners were similar to the mainland USA (20%). Thus high endemic biodiversity might contribute to attitudes in some, but not all, countries. Husbandry practices varied internationally, with predation highest where fewer cats were confined. Although the risk of wildlife population declines caused by pet cats justifies precautionary action, campaigns based on wildlife protection are unlikely to succeed outside Australia or New Zealand. Restrictions on roaming protect wildlife and benefit cat welfare, so welfare is a better rationale

The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies

One Health is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort that seeks optimal health for people, animals, plants, and the environment. Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an intracellular protozoan infection distributed worldwide, with a heteroxenous life cycle that practically affects all homeotherms and in which felines act as definitive reservoirs. Herein, we review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts in humans, domestic animals, wildlife both terrestrial and aquatic, and ecosystems. The epidemiology, prevention, and control strategies are reviewed, with the objective of facilitating awareness of this disease and promoting transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, and capacity building among universities, government agencies, NGOs, policy makers, practicing physicians, veterinarians, and the general public

A Science-Based Policy for Managing Free-Roaming Cats

Free-roaming domestic cats (i.e., cats that are owned or unowned and are considered ‘at large’) are globally distributed non-native species that have marked impacts on biodiversity and human health. Despite clear scientific evidence of these impacts, free-roaming cats are either unmanaged or managed using scientifically unsupported and ineffective approaches (e.g., trap-neuter-release [TNR]) in many jurisdictions around the world. A critical first initiative for effective, science-driven management of cats must be broader political and legislative recognition of free-roaming cats as a non-native, invasive species. Designating cats as invasive is important for developing and implementing science-based management plans, which should include efforts to prevent cats from becoming free-roaming, policies focused on responsible pet ownership and banning outdoor cat feeding, and better enforcement of existing laws. Using a science-based approach is necessary for responding effectively to the politically charged and increasingly urgent issue of managing free-roaming cat populations