Associations of anthropogenic activity and disturbance with fitness metrics of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis)

Kight, Caitlin R.; Swaddle, John P.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.04.014

Cited by 49 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…To successfully manage biodiversity, we need to be able to predict how different types of disturbance will influence the distribution of animal populations in space and time. The impacts of disturbance on wildlife should be evaluated by measuring the fitness consequences of habitat alteration on animals (Kight and Swaddle 2007). Individual fitness, however, can be rather difficult to measure in the field (Morris 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An appraisal of the fitness consequences of forest disturbance for wildlife using habitat selection theory

et al. 2010

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Isodar theory can help to unveil the fitness consequences of habitat disturbance for wildlife through an evaluation of adaptive habitat selection using patterns of animal abundance in adjacent habitats. By incorporating measures of disturbance intensity or variations in resource availability into fitness-density functions, we can evaluate the functional form of isodars expected under different disturbance-fitness relationships. Using this framework, we investigated how a gradient of forest harvesting disturbance and differences in resource availability influenced habitat quality for snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) using pairs of logged and uncut boreal forest. Isodars for both species had positive intercepts, indicating reductions to maximum potential fitness in logged stands. Habitat selection by hares depended on both conspecific density and differences in canopy cover between harvested and uncut stands. Fitness-density curves for hares in logged stands were predicted to shift from diverging to converging with those in uncut forest across a gradient of high to low disturbance intensity. Selection for uncut forests thus became less pronounced with increasing population size at low levels of logging disturbance. Voles responded to differences in moss cover between habitats which reflected moisture availability. Lower moss cover in harvested stands either reduced maximum potential fitness or increased the relative rate of decline in fitness with density. Differences in vole densities between harvested and uncut stands were predicted, however, to diminish as populations increased. Our findings underscore the importance of accounting for density-dependent behaviors when evaluating how changing habitat conditions influence animal distribution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An appraisal of the fitness consequences of forest disturbance for wildlife using habitat selection theory

et al. 2010

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“…In addition, areas that may not support large numbers of animals or a diversity of species may be an important habitat for a single threatened or endangered species, and this would need to be recognized and considered in a prioritization scheme. Another important step in determining the importance of any urban habitat to maintaining populations of dependent wildlife are studies that examine the effects of use of a habitat on the fitness of (West et al 2005, Kight andSwaddle 2007). For example, the fitness of birds that utilize urban foraging habitats may be impacted both by the increased levels of human disturbance and exposure to higher levels of humanderived pollution, including persistent organic contaminants and trace metals (Gill 1996, Rattner et al 2000, Stillman et al 2001.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Prioritizing urban marine habitats for conservation

McKinney¹

2008

J Coast Conserv

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Urban coastal wetlands and adjoining coves and embayments can provide habitat for significant numbers of waterbirds, despite being subject to high levels of stressors from human activities. Yet to date little emphasis has been placed on identifying these areas and prioritizing them for conservation. In this study I outline a three-step process to identify and prioritize local sites for conservation using waterbird abundance and diversity and an index of the risk to a site from marine development, and apply it to a series of urban coastal sites in two North Atlantic estuaries located in the northeast US. By combining waterbird abundance and species richness with the risk from marine development I generated a ranked list of sites with the highest listed sites having high bird diversity and low risk from development. From this list individual sites can be prioritized for conservation, and various protection scenarios can be evaluated and compared. For example, 7 of the top 10 ranked sites in Boston Harbor, combined with sites already protected under local, state, or federal statutes, represented over half of the total bird diversity in the Harbor. Similarly, in Narragansett Bay 6 of the top 10 sites when combined with sites already protected represent 48.8% of the Bay's bird diversity. Formally protecting these sites, all of which are at relatively low risk from marine development, could result in the conservation of considerable waterbird habitat at low economic cost (i.e., from loss of development potential). Other ranking scenarios (by bird diversity alone, or by risk from marine development) were also evaluated and compared to the combined ranking. Identification of sites with high bird diversity and low risk from development could provide important information for local land acquisition groups and planning boards when considering options for the conservation of urban coastal habitats.

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“…However, information on individual condition is rarely available for wild animals. Previous work has attempted to link changes in behaviour directly to fitness [11,12], but the success of this approach depends on the sample size available to inform the models as well as on the severity of the disturbance effects [24]. Detecting such a relationship may prove difficult if individual heterogeneity is large and the effect size is small, but the precise sampling requirements for a robust assessment are unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting the effects of human developments on individual dolphins to understand potential long-term population consequences

et al. 2015

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Human activities that impact wildlife do not necessarily remove individuals from populations. They may also change individual behaviour in ways that have sublethal effects. This has driven interest in developing analytical tools that predict the population consequences of short-term behavioural responses. In this study, we incorporate empirical information on the ecology of a population of bottlenose dolphins into an individual-based model that predicts how individuals' behavioural dynamics arise from their underlying motivational states, as well as their interaction with boat traffic and dredging activities. We simulate the potential effects of proposed coastal developments on this population and predict that the operational phase may affect animals' motivational states. For such results to be relevant for management, the effects on individuals' vital rates also need to be quantified. We investigate whether the relationship between an individual's exposure and the survival of its calves can be directly estimated using a Bayesian multi-stage model for calf survival. The results suggest that any effect on calf survival is probably small and that a significant relationship could only be detected in large, closely studied populations. Our work can be used to guide management decisions, accelerate the consenting process for coastal and offshore developments and design targeted monitoring.

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Associations of anthropogenic activity and disturbance with fitness metrics of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis)

Cited by 49 publications

References 59 publications

An appraisal of the fitness consequences of forest disturbance for wildlife using habitat selection theory

An appraisal of the fitness consequences of forest disturbance for wildlife using habitat selection theory

Prioritizing urban marine habitats for conservation

Predicting the effects of human developments on individual dolphins to understand potential long-term population consequences

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