Population Density, Colony Composition, and Local Movements in Two Sierra Nevadan Beaver Populations

Busher, Peter E.; Warner, Randall J.; Jenkins, Stephen H.

doi:10.2307/1380566

Cited by 34 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…We calculated similarity coefficients from 820 pairwise comparisons of adults at AH (Fig. 6) beavers (Castor canadensis; Busher et al 1983). Increases in group size with habitat saturation are also known from Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus; Koenig et al 1984), coyotes (Canis latrans; Andelt 1985), and jackals (Canis mesomelas; Moehlman 1986), although due, in these instances, to retention of adult young within their natal home ranges.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and Demographic Effects on Intraspecific Variation in the Social System of Prairie Dogs

Travis

Slobodchikoff

Keim³

1995

Ecology

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Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) are social North American ground squirrels whose social system has been shown to vary with food resource distributions, as predicted by the habitat variability–mating system model. We expanded this model to include the effects of variations in population densities, in addition to resource distributions, on both the social system and the individual mating strategies of Gunnison's prairie dogs. Specifically, we predicted that monogamy would be associated with uniform resources, regardless of population density, giving way to polygyny with increasing resource patchiness at intermediate densities, and to multiple males and females at high population densities. In addition, we predicted inbreeding at low densities and outbreeding at high densities on the basis of naturally low levels of genetic eity in this species. We tested these predictions by comparing social systems and mating strategies at two prairie dog colonies near Flagstaff, Arizona, during a 3—yr period of population increase. We observed variations in sociality to vary in the predicted fashion at both colonies, providing support for the plant patchiness–population density model.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and Demographic Effects on Intraspecific Variation in the Social System of Prairie Dogs

Travis

Slobodchikoff

Keim³

1995

Ecology

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“…Thus, the spatial structure and grouping of many rodents vary with season, habitat conditions, and local density of conspecifics (Jannett 1978, Busher et al 1983, Getz and Hofmann 1986, Sachser 1986, Herrera and Macdonald 1987, Madison and McShea 1987, Armitage 1988, Ferron and Quellet 1989, Zwicker 1989, Jeppsson 1990, Wolff and Cicirello 1990, Ylönen 1990, Meier 1992, Taber and Macdonald 1992, Wauters and Dhondt 1992, Perrin et al 1993, Agrell 1995, Salvioni and Lidicker 1995, Travis et al 1995, Getz and McGuire 1997, Jackson 1999. Such variation may hinder future comparative analyses as most comparative techniques assume intraspecific variation in the trait of interest to be negligible (Martins and Hansen 1996).…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the evolutionary causes of rodent group-living

Ebensperger

2001

Acta Theriol

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Ebensperger L. A. 2001. A review of the evolutionary causes of rodent group-living. Acta Theriologica 46: 115-144.I analyze and summarize the empirical evidence supporting alternative hypotheses posed to explain the evolution of rodent group-living. Eight hypotheses are considered: two rely on net fitness benefits to individuals, five rely on ecological and life-history constraints, and one uses elements of both. I expose the logic behind each hypothesis, identify its key predictions, examine how the available evidence on rodent socioecology supports or rejects its predictions, and identify some priorities for future research. I show that empirical support for most hypotheses is meager due to a lack of relevant studies. Also, empirical support for a particular hypothesis, when it exists, comes from studies of the same species used to formulate the original hypothesis. Two exceptions are the hypothesis that individual rodents live in groups to reduce their predation risk and the hypothesis that group-living was adopted by individuals to reduce their cost of thermoregulation. Finally, most hypotheses have been examined without regard to competing hypotheses and often in a restricted taxonomic context. This is clearly an unfortunate situation given that most competing hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. I suggest that in the future comparative approaches should be used. These studies should examine simultaneously the relevance of different benefits and constraints hypothesized to explain the evolution of rodent sociality.

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“…It is clear that the mating system of a given species may vary between, or within, populations. IntraspeciWc variability in mating system has been shown to be inXuenced by such factors as population density (Busher et al 1983;Kamler et al 2004), predation pressure (Cavallini 1996;Kamler et al 2004) and food availability (Brashares and Arcese 2002;Goldingay et al 2001;Zabel and Taggart 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resource distribution influences mating system in the bobuck (Trichosurus cunninghami: Marsupialia)

Martin

2007

Oecologia

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Mammalian mating systems are thought to be shaped by the spatial distribution and abundance of key resources, which in turn influence the spacing behaviour of individuals. In particular, female home range size is predicted to reflect the availability of key resources. We documented the availability and distribution of food and shelter resources for two neighbouring populations of bobucks, or mountain brushtail possums, Trichosurus cunninghami, that were characterised by different mating systems: our "forest population" was socially monogamous, whereas the "roadside population" was polygynous. Both silver wattle, Acacia dealbata, the main food resource for bobucks, and den-trees, which provided shelter, occurred at significantly higher density at the roadside site. The pattern of distribution of these two resources also differed between the sites. Both food and den-trees were scattered evenly throughout the roadside habitat. In contrast, den-trees were located predominantly at one end of the forest site, while silver wattle trees were located at the other. There was no significant difference in the amount of silver wattle, or in the number of den-trees, located within the home ranges of individual females at the two sites. However, forest females had home ranges, on average, almost three times the size of those of roadside females. At the roadside site, the size of female home ranges varied inversely with the density of silver wattle, indicating that these females ranged over as large an area as necessary to gain access to sufficient silver wattle trees. There was no such relationship among forest females. These populations provide a clear example of resource distribution determining female home range size. This influenced the number of female home ranges a male's home range overlapped with, which in turn determined the mating system. Such clear links between resource availability and mating system have not previously been established in a marsupial.

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Population Density, Colony Composition, and Local Movements in Two Sierra Nevadan Beaver Populations

Cited by 34 publications

References 9 publications

Ecological and Demographic Effects on Intraspecific Variation in the Social System of Prairie Dogs

Ecological and Demographic Effects on Intraspecific Variation in the Social System of Prairie Dogs

A review of the evolutionary causes of rodent group-living

Resource distribution influences mating system in the bobuck (Trichosurus cunninghami: Marsupialia)

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