Movements of Wolves at the Northern Extreme of the Species' Range, Including during Four Months of Darkness

Information about wolf (Canis lupus) movements anywhere near the northern extreme of the species' range in the High Arctic (>75°N latitude) are lacking. There, wolves prey primarily on muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and must survive 4 months of 24 hr/day winter darkness and temperatures reaching −53 C. The extent to which wolves remain active and prey on muskoxen during the dark period are unknown, for the closest area where information is available about winter wolf movements is >2,250 km south. We studied a pack of ≥20 wolves on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada (80°N latitude) from July 2009 through mid-April 2010 by collaring a lead wolf with a Global Positioning System (GPS)/Argos radio collar. The collar recorded the wolf's precise locations at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily and transmitted the locations by satellite to our email. Straight-line distances between consecutive 12-hr locations varied between 0 and 76 km. Mean (SE) linear distance between consecutive locations (n = 554) was 11 (0.5) km. Total minimum distance traveled was 5,979 km, and total area covered was 6,640 km2, the largest wolf range reported. The wolf and presumably his pack once made a 263-km (straight-line distance) foray to the southeast during 19–28 January 2010, returning 29 January to 1 February at an average of 41 km/day straight-line distances between 12-hr locations. This study produced the first detailed movement information about any large mammal in the High Arctic, and the average movements during the dark period did not differ from those afterwards. Wolf movements during the dark period in the highest latitudes match those of the other seasons and generally those of wolves in lower latitudes, and, at least with the gross movements measurable by our methods, the 4-month period without direct sunlight produced little change in movements

Bears Remain Top Summer Predators

In the ten years since wolves (Canis lupus) were restored to Yellowstone National Park (YNP), elk (Cervus elaphus) numbers have substantially decreased. The northern range elk herd is the largest elk herd in Yellowstone, and constitutes the majority of the park’s elk population. During 1994–2005, early winter counts of northern Yellowstone elk decreased from 19,045 to 9,545. Also, during winters 2000–2004, calf:cow ratios declined from 29:100 to 12:100, and were among the lowest recorded during the past several decades. Though many factors (e.g., predation, hunting, and drought) likely contributed to this decreasing abundance and low recruitment, several state and federal legislators continue to speculate that wolves are the primary reason for the recent decrease in elk recruitment rates, and have called for the immediate delisting and liberal control of the abundance and distribution of wolves. Because both wolves and elk are culturally, economically, and ecologically important in the Yellowstone area, it is vital to determine the basis for the decline in the elk population. To help this effort, we initiated a three-year study of northern Yellowstone elk calf mortality in May 2003. Our study was designed to follow up on Dr. Francis Singer et al.’s baseline pre–wolf restoration elk calf mortality study (1987–1990)

Elk Calf Survival and Mortality Following Wolf Restoration to Yellowstone National Park

We conducted a 3-year study (May 2003–Apr 2006) of mortality of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) calves to determine the cause for the recruitment decline (i.e., 33 calves to 13 calves/100 adult F) following the restoration of wolves (Canis lupus). We captured, fit with radiotransmitters, and evaluated blood characteristics and disease antibody seroprevalence in 151 calves ≤6 days old (68M:83F). Concentrations (x, SE) of potential condition indicators were as follows: thyroxine (T4; 13.8 μg/dL, 0.43), serum urea nitrogen (SUN; 17.4 mg/dL, 0.57), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT; 66.4 IU/L, 4.36), gamma globulins (GG; 1.5 g/dL, 0.07), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1; 253.6 ng/mL, 9.59). Seroprevalences were as follows: brucellosis (Brucella abortus; 3%), bovine-respiratory syncytial virus (3%), bovine-viral-diarrhea virus type 1 (25%), infectious-bovine rhinotracheitis (58%), and bovine parainfluenza-3 (32%). Serum urea nitrogen, GGT, GG, and IGF-1 varied with year; T4, SUN, and GG varied with age (P ≤ 0.01); and SUN varied by capture area (P=0.02). Annual survival was 0.22 (SE=0.035, n=149) and varied by calving area but not year. Neonates captured in the Stephens Creek/Mammoth area of Yellowstone National Park, USA, had annual survival rates \u3e3x higher (0.54) than those captured in the Lamar Valley area (0.17), likely due to the higher predator density in Lamar Valley. Summer survival (20 weeks after radiotagging) was 0.29 (SE=0.05, n=116), and calving area, absolute deviation from median birth date, and GG were important predictors of summer survival. Survival during winter (Nov–Apr) was 0.90 (SE=0.05, n=42), and it did not vary by calving area or year. Sixty-nine percent (n=104) of calves died within the first year of life, 24% (n=36) survived their first year, and 7% (n=11) had unknown fates. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (Ursus americanus) accounted for 58–60% (n = 60–62) of deaths, and wolves accounted for 14–17% (n = 15–18). Summer predation (95% of summer deaths) increased, and winter malnutrition (0% of winter deaths) decreased, compared with a similar study during 1987–1990 (72% and 58%, respectively). Physiological factors (e.g., low levels of GG) may predispose calves to predation. Also, the increase in bear numbers since wolf restoration and spatial components finer than the northern range should be considered when trying to determine the causes of the northern Yellowstone elk decline. This is the first study to document the predation impacts from reintroduced wolves on elk calf mortality in an ecosystem already containing established populations of 4 other major predators (i.e., grizzly and black bears, cougars [Puma concolor], and coyotes [Canis latrans]). The results are relevant to resource managers of the Yellowstone ecosystem in understanding the dynamics of the elk population, in providing harvest quota recommendations for local elk hunts to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service regarding wolf and grizzly bear recovery, and to all areas worldwide where predators are increasing, by providing managers with information about potential carnivore impacts on elk populations

Elk Calf Survival and Mortality Following Wolf Restoration to Yellowstone National Park La Supervivencia y la Mortalidad de las Crı´as de Wapiti Tras la Restauracio´ n del Lobo al Parque Nacional de Yellowstone La Survie et la Mortalite´ des Faons de Wapitis qui a Suivi la Re´introduction du Loup au Parc de Yellowstone

We conducted a 3-year study (May 2003–Apr 2006) of mortality of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) calves to determine the cause for the recruitment decline (i.e., 33 calves to 13 calves/100 adult F) following the restoration of wolves (Canis lupus). We captured, fit with radiotransmitters, and evaluated blood characteristics and disease antibody seroprevalence in 151 calves ≤ 6 days old (68M:83F). Concentrations (x, SE) of potential condition indicators were as follows: thyroxine (T4; 13.8 µg/dL, 0.43), serum urea nitrogen (SUN; 17.4 mg/dL, 0.57), c-glutamyltransferase (GGT; 66.4 IU/L, 4.36), gamma globulins (GG; 1.5 g/dL, 0.07), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1; 253.6 ng/mL, 9.59). Seroprevalences were as follows: brucellosis (Brucella abortus; 3%), bovine-respiratory syncytial virus (3%), bovine-viral-diarrhea virus type 1 (25%), infectious-bovine rhinotracheitis (58%), and bovine parainfluenza-3 (32%). Serum urea nitrogen, GGT, GG, and IGF-1 varied with year; T4, SUN, andGGvaried with age (P ≤ 0.01); and SUN varied by capture area (P=0.02). Annual survival was 0.22 (SE=0.035, n=149) and varied by calving area but not year. Neonates captured in the Stephens Creek/Mammoth area of Yellowstone National Park, USA, had annual survival rates \u3e3X higher (0.54) than those captured in the Lamar Valley area (0.17), likely due to the higher predator density in Lamar Valley. Summer survival (20 weeks after radiotagging) was 0.29 (SE=0.05, n=116), and calving area, absolute deviation from median birth date, and GG were important predictors of summer survival. Survival during winter (Nov–Apr) was 0.90 (SE=0.05, n=42), and it did not vary by calving area or year. Sixty-nine percent (n=104) of calves died within the first year of life, 24% (n=36) survived their first year, and 7% (n=11) had unknown fates. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (Ursus americanus) accounted for 58–60% (n = 60–62) of deaths, and wolves accounted for 14–17% (n = 15–18). Summer predation (95% of summer deaths) increased, and winter malnutrition (0% of winter deaths) decreased, compared with a similar study during 1987–1990 (72% and 58%, respectively). Physiological factors (e.g., low levels of GG) may predispose calves to predation. Also, the increase in bear numbers since wolf restoration and spatial components finer than the northern range should be considered when trying to determine the causes of the northern Yellowstone elk decline. This is the first study to document the predation impacts from reintroduced wolves on elk calf mortality in an ecosystem already containing established populations of 4 other major predators (i.e., grizzly and black bears, cougars [Puma concolor], and coyotes [Canis latrans]). The results are relevant to resource managers of the Yellowstone ecosystem in understanding the dynamics of the elk population, in providing harvest quota recommendations for local elk hunts to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service regarding wolf and grizzly bear recovery, and to all areas worldwide where predators are increasing, by providing managers with information about potential carnivore impacts on elk populations. Hemos realizado un estudio de 3 an˜os (may 2003–abr 2006) sobre la mortalidad de las crı´as de wapiti (Cervus elaphus) en el norte de Yellowstone para determinar las causas del descenso del reclutamiento (de 33 a 13 crı´as /100 hembras adultas) tras la restauracio´n del lobo (Canis lupus). Hemos capturado, marcado con radiotransmisores y evaluado las caracterı´sticas de la sangre y la seroprevalencia de los anticuerpos a enfermedades de 151 crı´as ≤ 6dı´as (68M:83H). Las concentraciones (x, SE) de los indicadores del estado potencial de salud fueron: tiroxina (T4; 13.8 µg/dL, 0.43), nitro´geno de urea en suero (SUN; 17.4 mg/dL, 0.57), c-glutamiltransferasa (GGT; 66.4 IU/L, 4.36), gamma globulinas (GG; 1.5 g/dL, 0.07) y factor de crecimiento insulinoide tipo 1 (IGF-1; 253.6 ng/mL, 9.59). Las seroprevalencias fueron: brucelosis (Brucella abortus; 3%), virus respiratorio sincitial bovino (3%), virus de la diarrea viral bovina tipo 1 (25%), rinotraqueı´tis infecciosa bovina (58%) y parainfluenza bovina tipo 3 (32%). El SUN, la GGT, las GG y el IGF-1 variaron con el an˜o; la T4, el SUN y las GG variaron con la edad (P≤0.01); y el SUN vario´ con el a´rea de captura (P=0.02). La supervivencia anual fue del 0.22 (SE=0.035, n=149) y vario´ con la zona de reproduccio´n pero no con el an˜o. Los neonatos capturados en la zona de Stephens Creek/Mammoth del Parque Nacional de Yellowstone, EE.UU., tuvieron tasas de supervivencia anual ma´s de 3 veces superiores (0.54) a las de los capturados en la zona del valle de Lamar (0.17), presumiblemente por la mayor densidad de predadores en el valle de Lamar. La supervivencia estival (20 semanas despue´s del radiomarcaje) fue 0.29 (SE=0.05, n=116); la zona de partos, la desviacio´n absoluta de la mediana de la fecha de nacimiento y lasGGfueron predictores importantes de la supervivencia estival. La supervivencia durante el invierno (nov–abr) fue 0.90 (SE=0.05, n=42) y no vario´ con la zona de partos o con el an˜o. El 69% (n=104) de las crı´as murieron antes de cumplir un an˜o, el 24% (n=36) sobrevivieron ma´s de un an˜o y se desconoce el destino del 7% (n=11). Los osos grizzly (Ursus arctos) y los osos negros (Ursus americanus) fueron responsables del 58–60% (n=60– 62) de las muertes, y los lobos, del 14–17% (n=15–18). La predacio´n estival (95% de las muertes en verano) aumento´, y la malnutricio´n en invierno (0% de las muertes en invierno) disminuyo´ en comparacio´n con un estudio similar realizado durante 1987–1990 (72%y 58%, respectivamente). Los factores fisiolo´gicos (bajos niveles de GG) quiza´ predisponen a las crı´as a ser predadas. Adema´s, el aumento de la poblacio´n de osos desde la restauracio´n del lobo y algunos componentes espaciales ma´s sutiles en las montan˜as septentrionales deberı´an ser considerados al tratar de determinar las causas del declive del wapiti en el norte de Yellowstone. Este es el primer estudio que describe el impacto que la predacio´n de lobos reintroducidos tiene sobre la mortalidad de las crı´as de wapiti en un ecosistema donde ya existen poblaciones establecidas de otros 4 grandes predadores (osos grizzly y negro, pumas [Puma concolor] y coyotes [Canis latrans]). Los resultados son relevantes para los gestores de recursos del ecosistema de Yellowstone porque ayudan a comprender la dina´mica de las poblaciones de wapiti; aportan recomendaciones al Departamento de Pesca, Vida Silvestre y Parques de Montana para decidir cuotas de extraccio´n de wapiti en las cacerı´as locales, al Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos en relacio´n a la recuperacio´n del lobo y el oso grizzly; y ofrecen a los gestores informacio´n acerca de los impactos potenciales de los carnı´voros sobre las poblaciones de wapiti en todas las zonas del mundo donde los predadores esta´n aumentando. Nous avons re´alise´ une e´tude de 3 ans (mai 2003–avr 2006) portant sur les faons des wapitis du nord de Yellowstone afin de de´terminer les causes du de´clin de recrutement (c.-a`-d. de 33 a` 13 faons/100 femelles adultes) qui a suivi la re´introduction du loup (Canis lupus). Nous avons capture´, pre´leve´ un e´chantillon sanguin et muni d’un radioe´metteur 151 faons de ≤ 6 jours (68M:83F). Les concentrations (x, ET) d’indicateurs potentiels de condition physique e´taient: thyroxine (T4; 13.8 µg/dL, 0.43), azote ure´ique se´rique (AUS; 17.4 mg/dL, 0.57), c-glutamyltransfe´rase (GGT; 66.4 IU/L, 4.36), gamma globulines (GG; 1.5 g/dL, 0.07) et facteur de croissance insulinomime´tique de type 1 (FCI-1; 253.6 ng/mL, 9.59). La pre´valence se´rique d’anticorps e´tait: brucellose (Brucella abortus; 3%), virus syncitial respiratoire bovin (3%), virus diarrhe´ique bovin de type 1 (25%), rhinotrache´ite infectieuse bovine (58%) et parainfluenza-3 bovin (32%). L’azote ure´ique se´rique, la GGT, les GG et le FCI-1 ont varie´ entre les anne´es; la T4, l’AUS et les GG varie`rent en fonction de l’aˆge (P ≤ 0.01) et l’AUS en fonction du lieu de capture (P=0.02). Le taux annuel de survie atteignit 0.22 (ET=0.035, n=149) et varia en fonction de l’aire de mise bas mais non de l’anne´e. Les faons ne´s dans l’aire de Stephens Creek/Mammoth du parc national de Yellowstone, E ´ tats-Unis, posse´daient des taux annuels de survie plus de 3 fois supe´rieurs (0.54) a` ceux capture´s dans l’aire de Lamar Valley (0.17), vraisemblablement a` cause d’une densite´ de pre´dateurs plus e´leve´e au second endroit. La survie estivale moyenne (20 semaines suivant le marquage) e´tait de 0.29 (ET=0.05, n=116) et elle de´pendait fortement du lieu de mise bas, de la de´viation absolue de la date de naissance me´diane et de la concentration de GG. La survie hivernale (nov–avr) atteignait 0.90 (ET=0.05, n =42) et ne variait ni en fonction du lieu de naissance ou de l’anne´e. Soixante-neuf pourcent (n=104) des faons moururent durant leur premie`re anne´e, 24% (n =36) surve´curent et le sort de 7% (n=11) demeura inconnu. Les ours grizzlys (Ursus arctos) et les ours noirs (Ursus americanus) furent responsables de 58–60% des mortalite´s (n=60–62), contre 14–17% pour les loups (n=15–18). La pre´dation estivale (95% des mortalite´s) augmenta et la malnutrition hivernale (0% des mortalite´s) diminua en comparaison avec une e´tude similaire re´alise´e de 1987 a` 1990 (72% et 58%, respectivement). Des facteurs physiologiques (c.-a`-d. des bas niveaux de GG) pourraient pre´disposer les faons a` la pre´dation. Par ailleurs, l’accroissement du nombre d’ours depuis la re´introduction du loup et des composantes spatiales plus fines que celles de notre e´tude devraient eˆtre pris en compte en tentant de de´terminer les causes du de´clin du nombre de wapitis du nord de Yellowstone. Notre e´tude s’ave`re la premie`re a` documenter les impacts de la pre´dation de loups re´introduits dans un e´cosyste`me contenant des populations e´tablies de 4 pre´dateurs majeurs (c.-a`-d., les ours grizzlys et noirs, les cougars [Puma concolor], les coyotes [Canis latrans]). Nos re´sultats concernent les gestionnaires de l’e´cosyste`me de Yellowstone puisqu’ils permettent de comprendre la dynamique de la population de wapitis, qu’ils fournissent des recommandations pour les chasses locales au Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks et d’autres, pour la gestion du loup et de l’ours grizzly, au U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Nos re´sultats concernent e´galement toutes les re´gions du monde ou` les pre´dateurs s’accroissent puisqu’ils fournissent aux gestionnaires des informations concernant l’impact potentiel des carnivores sur les populations de grands herbivores

Real-time image processing for label-free enrichment of Actinobacteria cultivated in picolitre droplets

The majority of today's antimicrobial therapeutics is derived from secondary metabolites produced by Actinobacteria. While it is generally assumed that less than 1% of Actinobacteria species from soil habitats have been cultivated so far, classic screening approaches fail to supply new substances, often due to limited throughput and frequent rediscovery of already known strains. To overcome these restrictions, we implement high-throughput cultivation of soil-derived Actinobacteria in microfluidic pL-droplets by generating more than 600000 pure cultures per hour from a spore suspension that can subsequently be incubated for days to weeks. Moreover, we introduce triggered imaging with real-time image-based droplet classification as a novel universal method for pL-droplet sorting. Growth-dependent droplet sorting at frequencies above 100 Hz is performed for label-free enrichment and extraction of microcultures. The combination of both cultivation of Actinobacteria in pL-droplets and real-time detection of growing Actinobacteria has great potential in screening for yet unknown species as well as their undiscovered natural products

Migration of northern Yellowstone elk: implications of spatial structuring

Migration can enhance survival and recruitment of mammals by increasing access to higher-quality forage or reducing predation risk, or both. We used telemetry locations collected from 140 adult female elk during 2000– 2003 and 2007–2008 to identify factors influencing the migration of northern Yellowstone elk. Elk wintered in 2 semidistinct herd segments and migrated 10–140 km to at least 12 summer areas in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and nearby areas of Montana. Spring migrations were delayed after winters with increased snow pack, with earlier migration in years with earlier vegetation green-up. Elk wintering at lower elevations outside YNP migrated an average of 13 days earlier than elk at higher elevations. The timing of autumn migrations varied annually, but elk left their summer ranges at about the same time regardless of elevation, wolf numbers, or distance to their wintering areas. Elk monitored for multiple years typically returned to the same summer (96% fidelity, n 5 52) and winter (61% fidelity, n 5 41) ranges. Elk that wintered at lower elevations in or near the northwestern portion of the park tended to summer in the western part of YNP (56%), and elk that wintered at higher elevations spent summer primarily in the eastern and northern parts of the park (82%). Elk did not grossly modify their migration timing, routes, or use areas after wolf restoration. Elk mortality was low during summer and migration (8 of 225 elk-summers). However, spatial segregation and differential mortality and recruitment between herd segments on the northern winter range apparently contributed to a higher proportion of the elk population wintering outside the northwestern portion of YNP and summering in the western portion of the park. This change could shift wolf spatial dynamics more outside YNP and increase the risk of transmission of brucellosis from elk to cattle north of the park

Migration of northern Yellowstone elk: implications of spatial structuring

Migration can enhance survival and recruitment of mammals by increasing access to higher-quality forage or reducing predation risk, or both. We used telemetry locations collected from 140 adult female elk during 2000– 2003 and 2007–2008 to identify factors influencing the migration of northern Yellowstone elk. Elk wintered in 2 semidistinct herd segments and migrated 10–140 km to at least 12 summer areas in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and nearby areas of Montana. Spring migrations were delayed after winters with increased snow pack, with earlier migration in years with earlier vegetation green-up. Elk wintering at lower elevations outside YNP migrated an average of 13 days earlier than elk at higher elevations. The timing of autumn migrations varied annually, but elk left their summer ranges at about the same time regardless of elevation, wolf numbers, or distance to their wintering areas. Elk monitored for multiple years typically returned to the same summer (96% fidelity, n 5 52) and winter (61% fidelity, n 5 41) ranges. Elk that wintered at lower elevations in or near the northwestern portion of the park tended to summer in the western part of YNP (56%), and elk that wintered at higher elevations spent summer primarily in the eastern and northern parts of the park (82%). Elk did not grossly modify their migration timing, routes, or use areas after wolf restoration. Elk mortality was low during summer and migration (8 of 225 elk-summers). However, spatial segregation and differential mortality and recruitment between herd segments on the northern winter range apparently contributed to a higher proportion of the elk population wintering outside the northwestern portion of YNP and summering in the western portion of the park. This change could shift wolf spatial dynamics more outside YNP and increase the risk of transmission of brucellosis from elk to cattle north of the park

Mountain lions prey selectively on prion-infected mule deer

The possibility that predators choose prey selectively based on age or condition has been suggested but rarely tested. We examined whether mountain lions (Puma concolor) selectively prey upon mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) infected with chronic wasting disease, a prion disease. We located kill sites of mountain lions in the northern Front Range of Colorado, USA, and compared disease prevalence among lion-killed adult (≥2 years old) deer with prevalence among sympatric deer taken by hunters in the vicinity of kill sites. Hunter-killed female deer were less likely to be infected than males (odds ratios (OR) = 0.2, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.1–0.6; p = 0.015). However, both female (OR = 8.5, 95% CI = 2.3–30.9) and male deer (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1–10) killed by a mountain lion were more likely to be infected than same-sex deer killed in the vicinity by a hunter (p < 0.001), suggesting that mountain lions in this area actively selected prion-infected individuals when targeting adult mule deer as prey items

Electrochemically deposited nanocrystalline InSb thin films and their electrical properties

We present an electrochemical route to prepare nanocrystalline InSb thin films that can be transferred to an industrial scale. The morphology, composition, and crystallinity of the prepared uniform and compact thin films with a surface area of around 1 cm2 were investigated. The essential electrical characteristics such as conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, the type, concentration and mobility of charge carriers have been examined and compared with InSb nanowires obtained in the same system for electrochemical deposition (fixed pulse sequence, temperature, electrolyte composition, and system geometry). Moreover, obtained thin films show much higher band gap energy (0.53 eV) compared to the bulk material (0.17 eV) and InSb nanowires (0.195 eV)

INTROGRESSION OF COYOTE MITOCHONDRIAL DNA INTO SYMPATRIC NORTH AMERICAN GRAY WOLF POPULATIONS

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genotypes of gray wolves and coyotes from localities throughout North America were determined using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Of the 13 genotypes found among the wolves, 7 are clearly of coyote origin, indicating that genetic transfer of coyote mtDNA into wolf populations has occurred through hybridization. The transfer of mtDNA appears unidirectional from coyotes into wolves because no coyotes sampled have a wolf-derived mtDNA genotype. Wolves possessing coyote-derived genotypes are confined to a contiguous geographic region in Minnesota, Ontario, and Quebec, and the frequency of coyote- type mtDNA in these wolf populations is high (\u3e 500%). The ecological history of the hybrid zone suggests that hybridization is taking place in regions where coyotes have only recently become abundant following conversion of forests to farmlands. Dispersing male wolves unable to find conspecific mates may be pairing with female coyotes in deforested areas bordering wolf territories. Our results demonstrate that closely related species of mobile terrestrial vertebrates have the potential for extensive genetic exchange when ecological conditions change suddenly