The secret lives of African forest elephants: using genetics, networks, and telemetry to understand sociality

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 5,2013).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Lori EggertIncludes bibliographical references.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri-Columbia 2012.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Biological sciences."December 2012."Knowledge of social structure is important to understanding the overall evolution and behavioral ecology of a species as it ultimately influences spatial patterns and gene flow. This dissertation focuses on the social structure of African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) and tests for fission-fusion sociality using satellite telemetry, noninvasive genetic sampling, and social networks. Satellite telemetry results from six adult females in Loango National Park, Gabon revealed small home ranges with low probabilities of co-occurrence between individuals, suggesting spatial avoidance among these females. In contrast, network models created from non-invasive genetic approaches from forest elephants in Lopé National Park, Gabon revealed more extensive networks of individuals suggesting fission-fusion sociality. Also, adult females at distances of five kilometers or less were more closely related to each other than expected from chance. Known adult females and their associates were tracked through observations in 2006, 2008, and 2010. Social networks revealed evidence of kin-based fission-fusion sociality. Although forest elephant females associate in fission-fusion patterns, they frequently separate from them, and when preferred associations do form, it is typically with only one other individual. When comparing these results with other extant elephant species, they suggest that although there is evidence of kin-based fission-fusion sociality, forest elephant differ by having many small components and solitary individuals, and overall a disconnected network

Fine-scale genetic structure and cryptic associations reveal evidence of kin-based sociality in the African forest elephant

Spatial patterns of relatedness within animal populations are important in the evolution of mating and social systems, and have the potential to reveal information on species that are difficult to observe in the wild. This study examines the fine-scale genetic structure and connectivity of groups within African forest elephants,Loxodonta cyclotis, which are often difficult to observe due to forest habitat. We tested the hypothesis that genetic similarity will decline with increasing geographic distance, as we expect kin to be in closer proximity, using spatial autocorrelation analyses and Tau Krtests. Associations between individuals were investigated through a non-invasive genetic capture-recapture approach using network models, and were predicted to be more extensive than the small groups found in observational studies, similar to fission-fusion sociality found in African savanna (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) species. Dung samples were collected in Lopé National Park, Gabon in 2008 and 2010 and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, genetically sexed, and sequenced at the mitochondrial DNA control region. We conducted analyses on samples collected at three different temporal scales: a day, within six-day sampling sessions, and within each year. Spatial autocorrelation and Tau Krtests revealed genetic structure, but results were weak and inconsistent between sampling sessions. Positive spatial autocorrelation was found in distance classes of 0–5 km, and was strongest for the single day session. Despite weak genetic structure, individuals within groups were significantly more related to each other than to individuals between groups. Social networks revealed some components to have large, extensive groups of up to 22 individuals, and most groups were composed of individuals of the same matriline. Although fine-scale population genetic structure was weak, forest elephants are typically found in groups consisting of kin and based on matrilines, with some individuals having more associates than observed from group sizes alone

Mammal communities are larger and more diverse in moderately developed areas

Developed areas are thought to have low species diversity, low animal abundance, few native predators, and thus low resilience and ecological function. Working with citizen scientist volunteers to survey mammals at 1427 sites across two development gradients (wild-rural-exurban- suburban-urban) and four plot types (large forests, small forest fragments, open areas and residential yards) in the eastern US, we show that developed areas actually had significantly higher or statistically similar mammalian occupancy, relative abundance, richness and diversity compared to wild areas. However, although some animals can thrive in suburbia, conservation of wild areas and preservation of green space within cities are needed to protect sensitive species and to give all species the chance to adapt and persist in the Anthropocene. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.38012.00

An empirical evaluation of camera trap study design: How many, how long and when?

Abstract Camera traps deployed in grids or stratified random designs are a well‐established survey tool for wildlife but there has been little evaluation of study design parameters. We used an empirical subsampling approach involving 2,225 camera deployments run at 41 study areas around the world to evaluate three aspects of camera trap study design (number of sites, duration and season of sampling) and their influence on the estimation of three ecological metrics (species richness, occupancy and detection rate) for mammals. We found that 25–35 camera sites were needed for precise estimates of species richness, depending on scale of the study. The precision of species‐level estimates of occupancy (ψ) was highly sensitive to occupancy level, with 0.75) species, but more than 150 camera sites likely needed for rare (ψ < 0.25) species. Species detection rates were more difficult to estimate precisely at the grid level due to spatial heterogeneity, presumably driven by unaccounted habitat variability factors within the study area. Running a camera at a site for 2 weeks was most efficient for detecting new species, but 3–4 weeks were needed for precise estimates of local detection rate, with no gains in precision observed after 1 month. Metrics for all mammal communities were sensitive to seasonality, with 37%–50% of the species at the sites we examined fluctuating significantly in their occupancy or detection rates over the year. This effect was more pronounced in temperate sites, where seasonally sensitive species varied in relative abundance by an average factor of 4–5, and some species were completely absent in one season due to hibernation or migration. We recommend the following guidelines to efficiently obtain precise estimates of species richness, occupancy and detection rates with camera trap arrays: run each camera for 3–5 weeks across 40–60 sites per array. We recommend comparisons of detection rates be model based and include local covariates to help account for small‐scale variation. Furthermore, comparisons across study areas or times must account for seasonality, which could have strong impacts on mammal communities in both tropical and temperate sites

March Mammal Madness and the power of narrative in science outreach.

March Mammal Madness is a science outreach project that, over the course of several weeks in March, reaches hundreds of thousands of people in the United States every year. We combine four approaches to science outreach - gamification, social media platforms, community event(s), and creative products - to run a simulated tournament in which 64 animals compete to become the tournament champion. While the encounters between the animals are hypothetical, the outcomes rely on empirical evidence from the scientific literature. Players select their favored combatants beforehand, and during the tournament scientists translate the academic literature into gripping "play-by-play" narration on social media. To date ~1100 scholarly works, covering almost 400 taxa, have been transformed into science stories. March Mammal Madness is most typically used by high-school educators teaching life sciences, and we estimate that our materials reached ~1% of high-school students in the United States in 2019. Here we document the intentional design, public engagement, and magnitude of reach of the project. We further explain how human psychological and cognitive adaptations for shared experiences, social learning, narrative, and imagery contribute to the widespread use of March Mammal Madness

Leadership impact on job satisfaction

Aim: The purpose of this research was to test whether nurse manager’s servant leadership behaviors correlated to the job satisfaction and turnover intention of staff nurses. Background: Distinguished nursing excellence is accomplished by leaders that inspire others to adopt behaviors that encourage service and performance. Method: A 58 Likert-type servant leadership questionnaire assessing managers’ behaviors, relative to job satisfaction and turnover intention, was completed by 283 nurses working at a Magnet certified, Level II trauma center. In order to predict the influence of management behavior on job satisfaction and turnover intention, multiple linear regression analysis was utilized. Results: The conclusion reflected that servant leadership behaviors resonate with staff nurses resulting in an increase in job satisfaction and reduction in turnover intention beyond that of transformational leadership. The research demonstrated a strong, positive correlation linking servant leadership behaviors and job satisfaction. Conclusion: Servant leadership behaviors engage nursing staff resulting in higher job satisfaction and decreasing turnover intention. Implications for Nursing Management: Given the importance of human capital in nursing, nurse managers have an opportunity to create an environment where nurses can make meaningful contributions to an organization by reducing one of the causes of the nursing shortage

Leadership impact on job satisfaction

Aim: The purpose of this research was to test whether nurse manager’s servant leadership behaviors correlated to the job satisfaction and turnover intention of staff nurses. Background: Distinguished nursing excellence is accomplished by leaders that inspire others to adopt behaviors that encourage service and performance. Method: A 58 Likert-type servant leadership questionnaire assessing managers’ behaviors, relative to job satisfaction and turnover intention, was completed by 283 nurses working at a Magnet certified, Level II trauma center. In order to predict the influence of management behavior on job satisfaction and turnover intention, multiple linear regression analysis was utilized. Results: The conclusion reflected that servant leadership behaviors resonate with staff nurses resulting in an increase in job satisfaction and reduction in turnover intention beyond that of transformational leadership. The research demonstrated a strong, positive correlation linking servant leadership behaviors and job satisfaction. Conclusion: Servant leadership behaviors engage nursing staff resulting in higher job satisfaction and decreasing turnover intention. Implications for Nursing Management: Given the importance of human capital in nursing, nurse managers have an opportunity to create an environment where nurses can make meaningful contributions to an organization by reducing one of the causes of the nursing shortage

African forest elephant social networks: Fission-fusion dynamics, but fewer associations

For animal species with dynamic interactions, understanding social patterns can be difficult. Social network analysis quantifies associations and their intensity between individuals within a population, revealing the overall patterns of the society. We used networks to test the hypothesis that the elusive African forest elephantLoxodonta cyclotisexhibits fission-fusion social dynamics, similar to other elephant species. We observed associations between individuals in savanna clearings in Lop&eacute; National Park, Gabon, in 2006, 2008, and 2010. When possible, dung was collected from individuals for genetic analyses using 10 microsatellite loci and the mitochondrial DNA control region. Using simple ratio association indices, networks were created for each year, wet and dry seasons, individuals detected at least twice, and for all females. We identified 118 unique adult females, for 40 of which we obtained genetic information. Networks had low densities, many disconnected components, short average path lengths, and high clustering coefficients. Within components, average relatedness was 0.093 &plusmn; 0.071 (SD) and females appeared to share mitochondrial haplotypes. We detected 1 large component consisting of 22 adult females, but there were few preferred associations (8 of 65, 12.3%). No seasonal or yearly differences were observed. Our results substantiate fission-fusion dynamics in forest elephants; however, the networks are more disconnected than those for other elephant species, possibly due to poaching and ecological constraints in the forest environment

Raw detection data from camera traps

Each row represents a detection of a species from camera traps set in Raleigh, NC, USA and Washington, DC, USA between 2012 and 2016