Behavioral Indicators and Conservation: Wielding "The Biologist's Tricorder"

Kotler, Burt P.; Morris, Douglas W.; Brown, Joel S.

doi:10.1560/ijee.53.3.237

Cited by 31 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…However, as with our investigation, many such studies have also revealed considerable interannual variation in seed production that could relate to variation in the abundance, distribution, and behavior of waterfowl from year to year. We suggest future studies of food production strive to relate numerical and functional responses of waterfowl to variation in forage abundance and distribution, perhaps through behavioral observations (e.g., Kotler et al 2007) or experimental manipulations.…”

Section: Research and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed Abundance for Waterfowl in Wetlands Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Stafford

Yetter

Hine

et al. 2011

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Managed wetlands on public lands in Illinois, United States, provide foraging habitats for migrating and wintering waterfowl. However, few studies have estimated abundances of waterfowl foods in mid-migration regions of North America, yet such information is needed to inform management and conservation decision-making. During 2005-2007, we used a multistage sampling design to estimate moist-soil plant seed production (kg/ha, dry mass) and energetic carrying capacity at sites managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and modeled variation in seed biomass. Average seed biomass among all sites ranged from 1,030.0 6 64.1 (SE) kg/ha in 2005 to 501.5 6 124.1 kg/ha in 2007. Our overall estimate (2005)(2006)(2007) of moist-soil plant seed biomass was precise (691.3 6 56.4 kg/ ha; CV: 8.2%), equaling 5,128 energetic use-days/ha. This value was similar to or slightly greater than previous estimates from other regions of North America and exceeded the estimate used the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture for waterfowl conservation planning (514 kg/ha). We formulated eight models to predict abundance of moist-soil plant seeds within sampled wetlands. The best approximating model included the number of desirable plant species within wetlands and study year. The second best model included the categorical effect of management intensity and indicated that, although variable, actively managed wetlands produced about 240 kg/ha more seed than those that were passively managed. As with other regions, wetland management practices that encourage diverse plant communities over monotypes and growth of early successional plants should yield substantial increases in waterfowl food abundances at Illinois Department of Natural Resources sites, especially given that only 27% of our study wetlands were actively managed. Such efforts would also help reduce deficits in energetic carrying capacity identified by the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture.

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Section: Research and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed Abundance for Waterfowl in Wetlands Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Stafford

Yetter

Hine

et al. 2011

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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“…The application of behavioural research to conservation management is a rapidly developing field because by focussing on behavioural deficiencies or behavioural problems, managers can significantly improve conservation outcomes (Blumstein & Berger‐Tal, ; Greggor et al., ). Behavioural responses influence how animals respond to a changing climate (Charmantier et al., ), affect the success of reintroductions of naïve species into environments with predators (Moseby et al., ) and are indicators of the effectiveness of conservation management strategies (Kotler, Morris, & Brown, ). Applications of behavioural research to conservation include the development of non‐lethal mitigation strategies for European badger ( Meles meles )–human conflict (Baker, Ellwood, Watkins, & MacDonald, ), and the development of taste aversion baits to reverse the decline of endangered northern quolls ( Dasyurus hallucatus ) caused by ingestion of invasive toxic cane toads ( Bufo marinus ) (O'Donnell, Webb, & Shine, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator exposure improves anti‐predator responses in a threatened mammal

West

Letnic

Blumstein

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Abstract1. Incorporating an understanding of animal behaviour into conservation programmes can influence conservation outcomes. Exotic predators can have devastating impacts on native prey species and thwart reintroduction efforts, in part due to prey naïveté caused by an absence of co-evolution between predators and prey.Attempts have been made to improve the anti-predator behaviours of reintroduced native prey by conducting laboratory-based predator recognition training but results have been varied and have rarely led to improved survival in reintroduction programmes.2. We investigated whether in situ predator exposure could improve anti-predator responses of a predator-naïve mammal by exposing prey populations to low densities of introduced predators under controlled conditions. We reintroduced 352 burrowing bettongs to a 26-km 2 fenced exclosure at the Arid Recovery Reserve in South Australia and exposed them to feral cats (density 0.03-0.15 cats/km 2 ) over an 18-month period. At the same time, we translocated a different group of bettongs into an exclosure free of introduced predators, as a control. We compared three behaviours (flight initiation distances, trap docility and behaviour at feeding trays) of cat-exposed and control bettongs before the translocations, then at 6, 12and 18 months post-translocation.3. Cat-exposed bettongs displayed changes in behaviour that suggested increased wariness, relative to control bettongs. At 18 months post-reintroduction, cat-exposed bettongs had greater flight initiation distances and approached feed trays more slowly than control bettongs. Cat-exposed bettongs also increased their trap docility over time. Synthesis and applications.Translocation is recommended as a conservation tool for many threatened species yet success rates are generally low. We demonstrate that controlled levels of in situ predator exposure can increase wariness in the behaviour of naïve prey. Our findings provide support for the hypothesis that in situ predator exposure could be used as a method to improve the anti-predator responses of predator-naïve threatened species populations. K E Y W O R D Santi-predator responses, anti-predator training, burrowing bettong, exotic predator, predator exposure, prey behaviour, prey naïveté, threatened species 148 | Journal of Applied Ecology WEST ET al.

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“…Such adaptive behaviors may be subject to strong selection (Stephens and Krebs, 1986). Prey foraging behavior can indicate the status of individuals and populations, the suitability of habitats, and the extent to which individuals face danger from predators; the latter may lead to information about the status of predator populations (Kotler et al, 2007;Morris et al, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey Behavior Leads to Predator: A Case Study of the Himalayan Tahr and the Snow Leopard in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal

Ale

Brown

2009

Israel J Ecol Evol

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Prey behavior leads to Predator: a case study of the himalayan tahr and the snow leoPard in sagarmatha (mt. everest) national Park, nePal ABSTRACT Rare, elusive predators offer few sightings, hindering research with small sample sizes and lack of experimentation. While predators may be elusive, their prey are more readily observed. Prey respond to the presence of a predator, and these fear responses may have population-and community-level consequences. Anti-predator behaviors, such as vigilance, allow us to sidestep the difficulty of direct field studies of large predators by studying them indirectly.Here we used a behavioral indicator, the vigilance behavior of the Himalayan tahr, the snow leopard's main local prey, to reveal the distribution and habitat use of snow leopards in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. We combined techniques of conventional field biology with concepts of foraging theory to study prey behavior in order to obtain insights into the predator's ecology. The Himalayan tahr's vigilance behavior correlates with the distribution of snow leopard signs. Tahr actually led us to six sightings of snow leopards. We conclude that behavioral indicators provided by prey offer a valuable tool for studying and monitoring stealthy and rare carnivores.

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Behavioral Indicators and Conservation: Wielding "The Biologist's Tricorder"

Cited by 31 publications

References 13 publications

Seed Abundance for Waterfowl in Wetlands Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Seed Abundance for Waterfowl in Wetlands Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Predator exposure improves anti‐predator responses in a threatened mammal

Prey Behavior Leads to Predator: A Case Study of the Himalayan Tahr and the Snow Leopard in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal

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