Wildlife in a politically divided world: insularism inflates estimates of brown bear abundance

-Political borders dictate how biological diversity is monitored and managed, yet wild animals often move freely between jurisdictions. We quantified bias in brown bear (Ursus arctos) abundance estimates introduced when analytical methods ignore that the same individuals may be accounted for in more than one jurisdiction. A spatially explicit population model revealed that up to 49% of female bears detected in Norway via microsatellite analysis of scat and hair samples have their center of activity in neighboring countries (Finland, Russia, and Sweden). Not accounting for detections of “foreign residents” resulted in abundance estimates that were inflated by as much as 119%. Like man- agement and conservation, monitoring of transboundary wildlife populations should take place at ecologically relevant scales to avoid biased abundance es- timates and a false sense of control. When political realities isolate jurisdictions from their neighbors, spatially explicit analytical approaches can allow local or national programs a glimpse beyond their borders. Jurisdiction; large carnivore management; natural resource policy; noninvasive genetic monitoring; spatially explicit capture-recapture; transboundary wildlife

Population Genetic Structure of Nebraska Paddlefish Based on Mitochondrial DNA Variation

Eighty-three paddlefish Polyodon spathula that were collected from 1995 to 1999 from the Missouri River Galvins Point Dam tailwater were analyzed for genetic variation in the mitochondrial DNA d-loop region. Additional samples from Montana, South Dakota, and Louisiana were used for comparative purposes. To facilitate the efficient analysis of numerous paddlefish samples, we applied a method that employs polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) to resolve restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA sequencing of 10 paddlefish revealed 22 polymorphic sites. Polymerase chain reaction–RFLP analysis of 93 paddlefish using three restriction enzymes detected six of the polymorphic sites and revealed six distinct haplotypes. All of the observed haplotypes were found in the Missouri River Galvins Point Dam tailwater. No temporal differentiation was observed among the 1995, 1998, and 1999 samples from the Missouri River Galvins Point Dam tailwater. Polymerase chain reaction–RFLP, resolved with PAGE, provided an efficient method for population genetic analysis of paddlefish

Saving large carnivores, but losing the apex predator?

AbstractLarge terrestrial carnivores, e.g. wolves or bears, often play a key ecological role from their position at the apex of trophic systems. Changes to their populations reverberate through ecological communities; consequently their widespread decline in numbers and shrinking distribution due to human persecution has brought about a loss and reconfiguration of biological diversity in many systems. Although many large carnivore populations are now under conservation-minded management, political and economic constraints make compromises necessary. A common compromise is to permit limited harvests, with the premise of sustainability and the objective to increase tolerance and funding for carnivore recovery and conservation. Here we question whether a large carnivore that has to “look over its shoulder” for human hunters can still fully perform its ecological role at the apex of a trophic system. We use information about carnivore behavior, ecology, trophic interactions, and the effects of human exploitation to argue that exploitation of large carnivores, even if sustainable numerically, undermines the commonly expressed rationale for their conservation, namely the restoration and preservation of ecosystem functionality. Our argument centers around (i) the necessity of behavioral adjustments in large carnivores to anthropomorphic risk, which may limit their contribution to the “landscape of fear”, and (ii) the observation that many of the same features that put large carnivores at the apex of trophic systems also make them vulnerable to human exploitation and persecution, with implicit consequences for their ecological functionality and evolution. Although hunting large carnivores can improve public acceptance, managers must be aware of the trade-offs

Population Genetic Structure of Nebraska Paddlefish Based on Mitochondrial DNA Variation

Eighty-three paddlefish Polyodon spathula that were collected from 1995 to 1999 from the Missouri River Galvins Point Dam tailwater were analyzed for genetic variation in the mitochondrial DNA d-loop region. Additional samples from Montana, South Dakota, and Louisiana were used for comparative purposes. To facilitate the efficient analysis of numerous paddlefish samples, we applied a method that employs polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) to resolve restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA sequencing of 10 paddlefish revealed 22 polymorphic sites. Polymerase chain reaction–RFLP analysis of 93 paddlefish using three restriction enzymes detected six of the polymorphic sites and revealed six distinct haplotypes. All of the observed haplotypes were found in the Missouri River Galvins Point Dam tailwater. No temporal differentiation was observed among the 1995, 1998, and 1999 samples from the Missouri River Galvins Point Dam tailwater. Polymerase chain reaction–RFLP, resolved with PAGE, provided an efficient method for population genetic analysis of paddlefish

Genetic Variation in the Midcontinental Population of Sandhill Cranes, \u3ci\u3eGrus Canadensis\u3c/i\u3e

Three subspecies of sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) are recognized in the Midcontinental population, the lesser (Grus c. canadensis), Canadian (G. c. rowani), and greater (G. c. tabida). Blood samples collected on the population’s primary spring staging area in Nebraska, U.S.A., were used to resolve the genetic relationship among these subspecies. Phylogenetic analysis of 27 G. canadensis, by DNA sequencing of a 675 bp region of the mtDNA, supports the subspecies designations of G. c. canadensis and G. c. tabida. G. c. rowani individuals were intermediate with each of the other two subspecies. Genetic divergence ranged from 6.5 to 14.5% between G. c. canadensis and G. c. tabida, 0.5 to 6.6% within G. c. canadensis, and 0.1 to 6.0% within G. c. tabida. Sufficient DNA for analysis was obtained from shed feathers indicating a source of genetic material that does not require the capture or sacrifice of the birds. Other genetic markers and methods, including satellite telemetry, are required for obtaining detailed information on crane distributions as needed to establish effective management units for the MCP

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

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Smartphone app reveals that lynx avoid human recreationists on local scale, but not home range scale

Outdoor recreation is increasing and affects habitat use and selection by wildlife. These effects are challenging to study, especially for elusive species with large spatial requirements, as it is hard to obtain reliable proxies of recreational intensity over extensive areas. Commonly used proxies, such as the density of, or distance to, hiking paths, ignore outdoor recreation occurring on other linear feature types. Here we utilized crowdsourced data from the Strava training app to obtain a large-scale proxy for pedestrian outdoor recreation intensity in southeast Norway. We used the proxy and GPS-tracking data from collared Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to investigate how recreation affects habitat selection at the home range scale and local scale by lynx during summer. We fitted resource selection functions at the two scales using conditional logistic regression. Our analysis revealed that lynx avoided areas of recreational activity at the local scale, but not at home range scale. Nonetheless, lynx frequently used areas associated with recreation, and to a greater degree at night than during the day. Our results suggest that local-scale avoidance of recreation and temporal adjustments of habitat use by lynx mitigate the need for a home range-scale response towards recreation. Scale-dependent responses and temporal adjustments in habitat use may facilitate coexistence between humans and large carnivores

Smartphone app reveals that lynx avoid human recreationists on local scale, but not home range scale

The global incrOutdoor recreation is increasing and afects habitat use and selection by wildlife. These efects are challenging to study, especially for elusive species with large spatial requirements, as it is hard to obtain reliable proxies of recreational intensity over extensive areas. Commonly used proxies, such as the density of, or distance to, hiking paths, ignore outdoor recreation occurring on other linear feature types. Here we utilized crowdsourced data from the Strava training app to obtain a large-scale proxy for pedestrian outdoor recreation intensity in southeast Norway. We used the proxy and GPS-tracking data from collared Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to investigate how recreation afects habitat selection at the home range scale and local scale by lynx during summer. We ftted resource selection functions at the two scales using conditional logistic regression. Our analysis revealed that lynx avoided areas of recreational activity at the local scale, but not at home range scale. Nonetheless, lynx frequently used areas associated with recreation, and to a greater degree at night than during the day. Our results suggest that local-scale avoidance of recreation and temporal adjustments of habitat use by lynx mitigate the need for a home range-scale response towards recreation. Scale-dependent responses and temporal adjustments in habitat use may facilitate coexistence between humans and large carnivorespublishedVersio

The interplay between hunting rate, hunting selectivity, and reproductive strategies shapes population dynamics of a large carnivore

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in van de Walle, J., Pelletier, F., Zedrosser, A., Swenson, J. E., Jenouvrier, S., & Bischof, R. The interplay between hunting rate, hunting selectivity, and reproductive strategies shapes population dynamics of a large carnivore. Evolutionary Applications, (2021): 1-19, https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13253.Harvest, through its intensity and regulation, often results in selection on female reproductive traits. Changes in female traits can have demographic consequences, as they are fundamental in shaping population dynamics. It is thus imperative to understand and quantify the demographic consequences of changes in female reproductive traits to better understand and anticipate population trajectories under different harvest intensities and regulations. Here, using a dynamic, frequency-dependent, population model of the intensively hunted brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in Sweden, we quantify and compare population responses to changes in four reproductive traits susceptible to harvest-induced selection: litter size, weaning age, age at first reproduction, and annual probability to reproduce. We did so for different hunting quotas and under four possible hunting regulations: (i) no individuals are protected, (ii) mothers but not dependent offspring are protected, (iii) mothers and dependent offspring of the year (cubs) are protected, and (iv) entire family groups are protected (i.e., mothers and dependent offspring of any age). We found that population growth rate declines sharply with increasing hunting quotas. Increases in litter size and the probability to reproduce have the greatest potential to affect population growth rate. Population growth rate increases the most when mothers are protected. Adding protection on offspring (of any age), however, reduces the availability of bears for hunting, which feeds back to increase hunting pressure on the nonprotected categories of individuals, leading to reduced population growth. Finally, we found that changes in reproductive traits can dampen population declines at very high hunting quotas, but only when protecting mothers. Our results illustrate that changes in female reproductive traits may have context-dependent consequences for demography. Thus, to predict population consequences of harvest-induced selection in wild populations, it is critical to integrate both hunting intensity and regulation, especially if hunting selectivity targets female reproductive strategies.JVdW and FP were funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. JVdW was also funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec—Nature et Technologies. This is scientific paper number 305 from the Scandinavian Brown Bear Research Project, which is funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management, and the Austrian Science Fund. This research was funded through the 2015-2016 BiodivERsA COFUND, with the national funders ANR (ANR-16-EBI3-0003), NCN (2016/22/Z/NZ8/00121), DLR-PT (01LC1614A), UEFISCDI (BiodivERsA3-2015-147-BearConnect (96/2016), and RCN (269863 and 286886). SJ acknowledges support of NSF OPP #1840058