American black bear thermoregulation at natural and artificial water sources

Sawaya, Michael A.; Ramsey, Alan B.; Ramsey, Philip W.

doi:10.2192/ursu-d-16-00010.1

Cited by 15 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Roads may provide opportunities for thermoregulation, though this use has not been documented as extensively as others. Black bears use roadside puddles to lower their body temperature in warm weather (Sawaya et al 2017). In cooler weather, red squirrels and nutria Myocastor coypus bask on road asphalt to raise their body temperature (Schitoskey Jr et al 1972, Sargeant 1973).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Roads have numerous negative impacts for mammals, but may also serve as attractants due to altered vegetation or provisioning of resources. We reviewed the use of roads and their associated features by mammals, in order to understand the ecological factors contributing to road use. We documented 129 studies that recorded road use by 116 mammalian species, spanning 15 orders and 35 families, in six continents. Carnivora was the most common order (40 species, 34% of all 116 species), followed by Artiodactyla (24 species, 20%) and Rodentia (21 species, 18%). The species were placed in the IUCN categories Least Concern (88 species, 76% of all 116 species), Vulnerable (11 species, 9%), Near Threatened (9 species, 8%), Endangered (6 species, 5%), and Critically Endangered (2 species, 2%). We assigned road use to five ecological categories, reflecting the reason for it, with subcategories where appropriate: (1) communication; (2) foraging (subcategories: anthropogenic food, herbivory, predation, salt, scavenging, water); (3) movement (subcategories: bridges, environmental alterations, habitat connectivity); (4) refuge (subcategories: avoidance, burrowing and denning, cover, roosting); and (5) thermoregulation. Foraging, movement, and refuge were the most common uses. Roads provide a variety of resources to mammals, but road use is highly dynamic in time and space. We suggest that the use of roads by mammals is extensive, both geographically and taxonomically. Road use is likely to influence mammalian ecology while contributing to the risk of collisions with vehicles.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The global change in temperature will inevitably lead to challenging impacts not only on brown bear distribution patterns but also on their ethological repertoire and cyclic and seasonal changes of biological activities. Generally, mammals can cope with escalating thermal stress by adopting some thermoregulatory behavioral responses (Sawaya, Ramsey, & Ramsey, 2017) including shifting to more nocturnal activities, as a least-cost thermoregulation strategy, to reduce the costs associated with autonomic temperature regulation (Maloney, Moss, Cartmell, & Mitchell, 2005). Bears are largely diurnal (MacHutchon, 2001) but become less active at daytime and more nocturnal when temperature rises (McLellan & McLellan, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreasing brown bear (Ursus arctos) habitat due to climate change in Central Asia and the Asian Highlands

Aryal

Hegab

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Around the world, climate change has impacted many species. In this study, we used bioclimatic variables and biophysical layers of Central Asia and the Asian Highlands combined with presence data of brown bear (Ursus arctos) to understand their current distribution and predict their future distribution under the current rate of climate change. Our bioclimatic model showed that the current suitable habitat of brown bear encompasses 3,430,493 km2 in the study area, the majority of which (>65%) located in China. Our analyses demonstrated that suitable habitat will be reduced by 11% (378,861.30 km2) across Central Asia and the Asian Highlands by 2,050 due to climate change, predominantly (>90%) due to the changes in temperature and precipitation. The spatially averaged mean annual temperature of brown bear habitat is currently −1.2°C and predicted to increase to 1.6°C by 2,050. Mean annual precipitation in brown bear habitats is predicted to increase by 13% (from 406 to 459 mm) by 2,050. Such changes in two critical climatic variables may significantly affect the brown bear distribution, ethological repertoires, and physiological processes, which may increase their risk of extirpation in some areas. Approximately 32% (1,124,330 km2) of the total suitable habitat falls within protected areas, which was predicted to reduce to 1,103,912 km2 (1.8% loss) by 2,050. Future loss of suitable habitats inside the protected areas may force brown bears to move outside the protected areas thereby increasing their risk of mortality. Therefore, more protected areas should be established in the suitable brown bear habitats in future to sustain populations in this region. Furthermore, development of corridors is needed to connect habitats between protected areas of different countries in Central Asia. Such practices will facilitate climate migration and connectivity among populations and movement between and within countries.

show abstract

“…For example, under unfavourable temperatures individuals can seek shade (Lustick, 1983; Walsberg, 1985, 1986), adjust body orientation in relation to the sun (Brodsky & Weatherhead, 1984; Lustick, 1983), employ heat dissipating or generating behaviours (e.g. panting, shivering and ptiloerection; Stevens et al., 1986; Tattersall et al., 2012), immersion of body or limbs in cold water (Sawaya et al., 2017; Steen & Steen, 1965) and deliberately cover exposed body regions (e.g. birds may cover bare parts with insulating plumage; Carr & Lima, 2011; Carrascal et al., 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of wetland margin microhabitat mosaics; the case of shorebirds and thermoregulation

Ryeland

Weston

Symonds

2020

Journal of Applied Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. Wetlands, and the species that rely upon them, are under significant threat worldwide , with wetlands often being completely removed or drastically altered. Successful wetland management requires an understanding of the interactions between wetland species and the microhabitats they use. The use of microhabitats for thermoregulation in wetland species is poorly studied, though anthropogenic influence on wetlands can reduce the diversity of microhabitats and thus the thermoregulatory options for animals. At high ambient temperatures birds may use the waterlogged wetland margins to help with thermoregulation, and are often observed roosting in the sitting position within this microhabitat. However, whether sitting on the wet substrate helps in thermoregulation is unknown.

show abstract

American black bear thermoregulation at natural and artificial water sources

Cited by 15 publications

References 15 publications

A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals

A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals

Decreasing brown bear (Ursus arctos) habitat due to climate change in Central Asia and the Asian Highlands

The importance of wetland margin microhabitat mosaics; the case of shorebirds and thermoregulation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About