Intensity of Territorial Marking Predicts Wolf Reproduction: Implications for Wolf Monitoring

Llaneza, Luís; García, Emilio José; López‐Bao, José Vicente

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093015

Cited by 44 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…; Llaneza et al. ). Merging results from multiple survey methods can be challenging because each method is based on different assumptions and works differently to estimate population parameters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Budgetary and logistical constraints often limit the use of accurate methods for data collection, such as noninvasive genetic approaches (Llaneza et al. ), which increases uncertainty in population estimates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead, they rely on sign surveys, surveys of people in potential wolf areas, or hunting statistics (Llaneza et al. ), and they usually combine multiple survey methods to generate information for different population parameters, such as the range of the species or number of reproductive packs (Ausband et al. ; Llaneza et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, this modeling framework seems a useful alternative to the current methods being used for wolf surveys at regional scales (Llaneza et al. ) because it generates objective, standardized, and comparable information to inform wolf management, including wolf range or the number of breeding packs, and it accounts for uncertainty.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multimethod, multistate Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for use in regional monitoring of wolves

Jímenez

García²,

Llaneza³

et al. 2016

Conservation Biology

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In many cases, the first step in large-carnivore management is to obtain objective, reliable, and cost-effective estimates of population parameters through procedures that are reproducible over time. However, monitoring predators over large areas is difficult, and the data have a high level of uncertainty. We devised a practical multimethod and multistate modeling approach based on Bayesian hierarchical-site-occupancy models that combined multiple survey methods to estimate different population states for use in monitoring large predators at a regional scale. We used wolves (Canis lupus) as our model species and generated reliable estimates of the number of sites with wolf reproduction (presence of pups). We used 2 wolf data sets from Spain (Western Galicia in 2013 and Asturias in 2004) to test the approach. Based on howling surveys, the naïve estimation (i.e., estimate based only on observations) of the number of sites with reproduction was 9 and 25 sites in Western Galicia and Asturias, respectively. Our model showed 33.4 (SD 9.6) and 34.4 (3.9) sites with wolf reproduction, respectively. The number of occupied sites with wolf reproduction was 0.67 (SD 0.19) and 0.76 (0.11), respectively. This approach can be used to design more cost-effective monitoring programs (i.e., to define the sampling effort needed per site). Our approach should inspire well-coordinated surveys across multiple administrative borders and populations and lead to improved decision making for management of large carnivores on a landscape level. The use of this Bayesian framework provides a simple way to visualize the degree of uncertainty around population-parameter estimates and thus provides managers and stakeholders an intuitive approach to interpreting monitoring results. Our approach can be widely applied to large spatial scales in wildlife monitoring where detection probabilities differ between population states and where several methods are being used to estimate different population parameters.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multimethod, multistate Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for use in regional monitoring of wolves

Jímenez

García²,

Llaneza³

et al. 2016

Conservation Biology

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“…Estimates of large carnivores in Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania are not carried out in a standardised manner, and sometimes they are only based on previous year hunts [24]; which is typical in large populations compared to small wolf populations [25]. Wolves in these countries are included in the Annex V of the European Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC and regulated hunting of wolves is allowed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trans-Boundary Edge Effects in the Western Carpathians: The Influence of Hunting on Large Carnivore Occupancy

Kutal

Váňa²,

Suchomel

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

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The conservation and management of wolves Canis lupus in the periphery of their distribution is challenging. Edges of wolf distribution are characterized by very few and intermittent occurrences of individuals, which are modulated by multiple factors affecting the overall population such as human-caused mortality, management targets and food availability. The knowledge of population dynamics in the edges becomes crucial when hunting takes place nearby the edges, which may preclude population expansion. Here, using as example the occurrence of wolves in the Beskydy Mountains (Czech-Slovak border), which are the edge distribution of the wolf and Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx populations in the West Carpathians, we explored how food availability and hunting in the Slovakian core area affected the dynamics of wolves in the edges of this population. During 2003–2012, we monitored large carnivore occurrence by snow-tracking surveys and tested potential differences in the occurrence of these species in Beskydy Mountains and potential mechanisms behind detected patterns. Despite the proximity to the core area, with several wolf reproductions being confirmed at least in recent years, the wolf was a very rare species in Beskydy and was recorded 14 times less often than the lynx. The expected abundance of wolves in the Beskydy Mountains was inversely related to prey availability in the Slovakian core area. Wolf hunting the year before influenced the expected abundance of wolves in Beskydy area. We discuss how different life histories and legal status of both species probably account for most of the observed difference of occurrence at range margins.

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Drivers of Wolf Activity in a Human‐Dominated Landscape and Its Individual Variability Toward Anthropogenic Disturbance

Ferreiro‐Arias,

García,

Palacios

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Wolves (Canis lupus) exhibit contrasted activity patterns along their distribution range. The shift from diurnal to nocturnal habits within and among populations appears to be primarily driven by localized levels of human activity, with ambivalent responses toward such disturbance reported among populations. Yet, the drivers and the underlying individual variability of temporal avoidance patterns toward human remains unexplored. We equipped 26 wolves with GPS–GSM collars, obtaining 54,721 locations. We used step lengths, turning angles, and accelerometer data from recorded locations to infer activity through hidden Markov models (Conners, M. G., T. Michelot, E. I. Heywood, et al. 2021. “Hidden Markov Models Identify Major Movement Modes in Accelerometer and Magnetometer Data From Four Albatross Species.” Movement Ecology 9, no. 1: 1–16.). We further explored the probability of activity as a function of a set of proxies of anthropogenic disturbance at different spatial scales and its interaction with different periods of the day by fitting population‐level and individual‐based hidden Markov models. Wolves were predominantly active during dusk and night, yet variations in activity emerged among individuals across day periods. We did not find clear population‐level effects of anthropogenic disturbance predictors, as these were masked by a wide range of individual‐specific responses, which varied from positive to negative, with inter‐individual variability in responses changing according to different predictors and periods of the day. Our results suggest a non‐uniform strategy of wolves in adapting their behavior to human‐dominated environments, further underscoring the role of vegetation patches acting as functional refuge cover for buffering the effects of anthropogenic disturbance and boosting the persistence of the species in human‐dominated landscapes. This study, for the first time, reveals the individual variability in wolf responses to human disturbance. By fitting hidden Markov models to data from GPS–GSM collars deployed on 26 wolves, we found significant variation between individuals in their responses to different levels of anthropogenic pressure and across different times of day, highlighting a non‐uniform strategy for coping with perturbations in human‐dominated landscapes. Our findings underscore the diverse behavioral adjustments employed by wolves to persist in these environments and highlight the critical importance of vegetation patches serving as refuge cover.

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Intensity of Territorial Marking Predicts Wolf Reproduction: Implications for Wolf Monitoring

Cited by 44 publications

References 32 publications

Multimethod, multistate Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for use in regional monitoring of wolves

Multimethod, multistate Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for use in regional monitoring of wolves

Trans-Boundary Edge Effects in the Western Carpathians: The Influence of Hunting on Large Carnivore Occupancy

Drivers of Wolf Activity in a Human‐Dominated Landscape and Its Individual Variability Toward Anthropogenic Disturbance

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